Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has sparked widespread debate after alleging that a member of DR Congo’s technical team engaged in “voodoo-like” gestures during the tense penalty shootout that ended Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria were eliminated on Sunday night after a nerve-racking 4-3 penalty defeat in Rabat, following a 1-1 draw across 120 minutes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The loss confirmed that the Super Eagles will miss consecutive World Cup tournaments.
A clip shared by ESPN Africa on X on Monday captured the Nigerian coach speaking to journalists shortly after the match. Chelle claimed he became uneasy during a VAR review for a penalty incident when he noticed the repeated motions of a DR Congo staff member standing near the touchline.
“During every penalty decision, someone from the DR Congo bench kept making some kind of voodoo gesture… over and over,” Chelle said in the video. “That’s why I reacted the way I did. It irritated me.”
When pressed to describe the specific act he observed, Chelle motioned with his hands and said: “Something like this. I don’t know if it was water or something else.”
There has been no independent confirmation to support his claims.
Bizwatch Nigeria earlier reported that Nigeria took the lead just three minutes into the match through Frank Onyeka, before DR Congo equalised in the 32nd minute via Meschack Elia. Both teams battled intensely through extra time, creating chances but failing to score.
The penalty shootout began on a shaky note for Nigeria. Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon both missed their early spot kicks. Stanley Nwabali kept Nigeria in contention with a save from DR Congo’s first penalty, while Akor Adams later scored to keep the Super Eagles alive. But the Congolese converted their fourth kick, sealing a 4-3 win and advancing to the intercontinental playoffs.
Nigeria, who had earlier reached the playoff final after defeating Gabon 4-1 in extra time, saw their qualifying dreams collapse in a dramatic and controversial fashion.
