Following the Super Eagles’ elimination from the 2026 World Cup—a defeat to DR Congo via a penalty shootout (1-1 draw) in Morocco—head coach Eric Chelle controversially attributed the loss to alleged “voodoo” tactics.
This defeat marks Nigeria’s second consecutive failure to qualify for the tournament, a historic first, according to Persecondnews.
Coach Chelle stated his belief that the Congolese staff used distraction techniques during the penalty session: “During all the penalty sessions, the guy from Congo did some voodoo. Every time, so this is why I was a little nervous after him.”
He further claimed that someone in the Congolese technical area was using “something water” in an attempt to distract the Nigerian players, which fueled his frustration.
The match was intense, with Nigeria’s Frank Onyeka scoring early, only for DR Congo’s Meschak Elia to equalize.
The game went to penalties, where Chancel Mbemba’s decisive kick sent DR Congo to the next stage.
Chelle’s outburst saw him confront DR Congo’s staff, including coach Sébastien Desabre, before being restrained by Nigerian officials.
Desabre downplayed the incident, saying it was “not an issue”.
However, Chelle stood by his claims, describing the alleged actions as unsettling.
This defeat adds to Nigeria’s recent struggles, missing back-to-back World Cups for the first time since 1994.
DR Congo will now face the winner of the AFC/CAF playoff for a World Cup spot, while Nigeria’s focus shifts to rebuilding for the Africa Nations Cup in Morocco December in 2025.
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