Chelle Alleges DR Congo Used ‘Voodoo’ During Penalty Shootout As Nigeria Crash Out of World Cup Race

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has alleged that a member of DR Congo’s delegation engaged in “voodoo-like” acts during the tense penalty shootout that ended Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria were eliminated 4–3 on penalties after both sides played out a 1–1 draw over 120 minutes in Sunday night’s CAF Playoff final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The defeat means the three-time African champions will miss a second consecutive World Cup.

Chelle made the claim while speaking to journalists in a video shared by ESPN Africa late Sunday. He said he became agitated after observing what he described as “repeated signals” from a member of the DR Congo camp whenever VAR reviewed the penalty incidents during the match.

“During all the penalty decisions, a guy from Congo did some voodoo… every time, every time, every time,” Chelle said.
“So this is why I was a little nervous after him.”

Asked to explain what exactly he saw, he said the individual appeared to be pouring or sprinkling something on the ground. “Something like that. I don’t know if it’s water or something like that,” he added.

The claim has not been verified, and officials from DR Congo have not responded publicly.

A Dramatic Contest Decided From the Spot

Nigeria started brightly, taking the lead in the third minute when Frank Onyeka’s long-range strike deflected past the DR Congo goalkeeper. But the Leopards equalised in the 32nd minute through Meschack Elia, who reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the Nigerian box.

Both teams created openings in extra time, but neither found the breakthrough. The match headed to penalties with the pressure firmly on Nigeria, who have not appeared at a World Cup since Russia 2018.

Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali saved DR Congo’s first attempt, giving Nigeria a promising start. However, misses from Moses Simon and Calvin Bassey swung the advantage back to the Leopards. Akor Adams briefly kept Nigeria alive with a composed finish, but DR Congo converted their final kick to seal a 4–3 victory.

The win sends DR Congo into the Intercontinental Playoff scheduled for March, where they will attempt to qualify for their first World Cup in more than 50 years. Their only previous appearance came in 1974, when they competed under the name Zaire.

For Nigeria, the result has triggered fresh disappointment among fans, coming after the team also failed to reach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.