Nigeria coach blames ‘voodoo’ for World Cup loss to DR Congo
DR Congo clinched a 4-3 victory on penalties.
Zuko Komisa
The coach of Nigeria, Eric Chelle, has made the astonishing claim that DR Congo utilised voodoo or ‘black magic’ during the penalty shootout that knocked his team out of the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Rabat.
The qualifying match concluded 1-1 after extra time before DR Congo clinched a 4-3 victory on penalties, securing their progression to the intercontinental playoffs.
Following the dramatic elimination, Chelle expressed his profound unease, stating that a member of the Congolese staff repeatedly performed acts of “black magic” during the shootout.
“A Congo staff member performed black magic repeatedly, which left me unsettled on the touchline,” Chelle was quoted as saying.
“During all the penalties, the guy from DR Congo did some voodoo.”
Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle explains why tempers flared between him and the DR Congo staff at the end of the World Cup playoff final. pic.twitter.com/nMyTIcqlTT
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With their World Cup hopes dashed, Nigeria will now turn their attention to the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.