WC qualifiers: Chelle claims DR Congo used ‘juju’ to defeat Super Eagles

Boluwatife Kehinde
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‎Following the Super Eagles’ elimination from the race to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, claimed that a member of DR Congo’s backroom staff engaged in what he described as “voodoo”—a term often used to reference traditional spiritual or ritualistic acts—during the decisive penalty shootout in the playoff clash.
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‎The encounter, held on neutral turf at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, ended 1–1 after extra time before Nigeria eventually lost on penalties, bringing their qualification journey to an abrupt end.
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‎In a clip shared by ESPN Africa on X on Monday, Chelle is seen addressing reporters after the game. He said his reaction on the touchline stemmed from frustration after observing repeated motions by someone in DR Congo’s technical area while the Video Assistant Referee reviewed a potential penalty decision.
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‎“Throughout the entire penalty check, one of their guys kept doing some kind of ritual… over and over. That’s why I reacted the way I did,” Chelle explained.
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‎Pressed further on what he witnessed, he gestured and added, “Something like this… I’m not sure if it was water or something else.”
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‎The loss means the Super Eagles will miss the World Cup for the second consecutive edition, having last featured in 2022 where they failed to advance past the group stage.
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‎Meanwhile, DR Congo progresses to a diverse lineup of teams already booked for the intercontinental play-offs, which includes Bolivia for CONMEBOL, New Caledonia from Oceania, one undecided Concacaf duo, and either Iraq or the United Arab Emirates representing Asia.