Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has claimed that a member of DR Congo’s technical crew engaged in ritual-like actions during the tense penalty shootout of Sunday’s World Cup playoff in Rabat, where the Super Eagles were eliminated from the race to the 2026 tournament.
The word voodoo is often used loosely to describe various traditional or spiritual practices, though in sports it is frequently referenced in exaggerated or misleading ways. Players and fans sometimes accuse rivals of using supernatural tactics when results don’t go their way.
Nigeria crashed out after a 4–3 defeat on penalties, following a 1–1 draw over 120 minutes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium — marking their second consecutive World Cup miss.
In a video shared by ESPN Africa on X, Chelle recounted his frustration to journalists, saying he reacted after observing repeated gestures from someone in DR Congo’s technical zone during a VAR review of a penalty incident.
“During all the penalty decision, a guy from Congo was doing some voodoo… every time, every time,” he said.
Asked what exactly he witnessed, the coach replied while demonstrating: “Something like that. I don’t know if it was water or something else.”
These claims have not been independently verified.
Nigeria had earlier taken the lead through Frank Onyeka in the third minute before Meschack Elia equalised for DR Congo in the 32nd minute. Both teams missed chances in extra time, taking the match into a dramatic shootout.
Although Stanley Nwabali saved DR Congo’s first spot kick, misses from Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon put the Eagles at a disadvantage. Akor Adams converted his effort to keep hope alive, but DR Congo eventually sealed a 4–3 victory to advance to the intercontinental playoff for a World Cup ticket.
Nigeria reached the final after a 4–1 extra-time win over Gabon, while DR Congo edged Cameroon 1–0 in their semi-final. The Leopards now await their next opponent as their qualification journey continues, but for the Super Eagles, the dream ended in heartbreak in Rabat.
