Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has generated a storm of disbelief after accusing the DR Congo team of “doing voodoo” during the tense penalty shootout that ended Nigeria’s dream of playing at the 2026 World Cup.
Nigeria crashed out after a heartbreaking 4–3 loss on penalties, despite the game ending 1–1 after extra time. Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon, and Semi Ajayi all missed their kicks, while Chancel Mbemba buried the decisive strike that sent the Congolese into the intercontinental playoffs.
Tensions exploded immediately after the final whistle. Chelle stormed toward the DR Congo bench and had to be restrained as tempers flared dangerously close to a full-blown brawl.
Still fuming after the match, Chelle doubled down on his accusations, claiming the Congolese bench used mystical tactics to unsettle Nigerian players.
“During all the penalty sessions, the DR Congo did some voodoo. Every time. Every time. That was why I was a bit nervous,” he said.
He further alleged that he saw someone in their technical area using “something water” to jinx the Super Eagles.
“I saw something like water or something.”
The Super Eagles have now missed back-to-back World Cups, a painful first since Nigeria’s debut appearance in 1994.
