Sports
WCQ 2026: Chelle Claims DR Congo Used ‘Voodoo’
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has alleged that the Democratic Republic of Congo used “voodoo” during the penalty shoot-out that determined Nigeria’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff final in Morocco.
Chelle made the claim on Sunday while speaking to reporters after the tense encounter.
Nigeria opened the scoring in the third minute when Frank Onyeka’s deflected strike found the net, but Meschak Elia equalised for DR Congo later in the first half. With no further goals in regulation or extra time, the match ended 1–1 after 120 minutes before heading to penalties, where DR Congo secured the victory.
The tension escalated after Chancel Mbemba scored the winning penalty. Chelle stormed toward the DR Congo technical area and confronted members of their staff, including head coach Sébastien Desabre, before being restrained by Nigeria’s officials.
Desabre later played down the incident, telling journalists it was “not an issue.”
Chelle, however, strongly disagreed. He insisted that certain members of the Congolese bench engaged in “voodoo” rituals during each penalty kick.
“During all the penalty sessions, the guy from Congo did some voodoo,” Chelle said. “Every time, so this is why I was a little nervous after him.”
When asked to clarify what he witnessed, Chelle added:
“Yeah, something like, I don’t know if it’s water or something like that [he was spraying it up].”
The loss extends Nigeria’s streak of World Cup disappointment. The Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the 2022 tournament, marking the first time they have missed back-to-back editions since their World Cup debut in 1994.
