Nigeria coach accuses DR Congo of using ‘voodoo’ magic in World Cup qualifier

Nigeria's head coach, Eric Chelle, has accused DR Congo of using 'voodoo' magic during their penalty shoot-out victory in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. DR Congo beat Nigeria 4-3 on penalties to clinch victory in their African World Cup play-off final, and now they have progressed to the intercontinental play-offs in March.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw, and then in the shootout, DR Congo reigned supreme, ending Nigeria's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.

Videos have gone viral on social media, showing Chelle arguing with members of the DR Congo coaching staff just before the final penalty. He could be seen with his arms outstretched and also shouting towards the opposition staff, before picking up a water bottle.

He was held by a member of Nigeria's coaching staff. But when DR Congo scored the winning penalty, he rushed towards the opposition dugout, and was again held by his own staff.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Chelle said, "During the entire penalty shootout, the guy from DR Congo was doing voodoo."

Every time, every time, every time. That's why I was a little nervous after him.

Chelle was also asked to describe what he saw, and he swung his right arm in the air, saying, "Something like that."

I don't know if it was water or something.

According to reports, DR Congo has denied such allegations.

During the penalty shoot-out, four spot-kicks were saved and another missed. Meanwhile, DR Congo skipper Chancel Mbemba also had a bottle thrown towards him as he converted the winning penalty.

Nigera were pre-match favourites and are 19 places above DR Congo in the world rankings. They have now failed to qualify for the second World Cup in a row.

Source: HindustanTimes
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