Nigeria coach Éric Chelle accused the Democratic Republic of Congo of doing “some voodoo” during the penalty shootout which ended his team’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. “During all the penalty decisions, a guy from Congo did a bit of voodoo every time. That’s why I was a bit nervous,” Chelle told reporters, explaining why sparks flew between him and the DR Congo staff.
When asked what she saw, Chelle waved her right arm, but could not confirm the details of her claim. “Something like that (waving his arm, ed.). I don’t know if it was water or something,” he said.
DR Congo secured a place in the inter-confederation play-offs for the 2026 World Cup after beating Victor Osimhen’s Nigeria 4-3 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw on Sunday. The defeat, suffered against a team ranked 19 places below them, condemned Nigeria to a further World Cup absence from 2026. The inter-confederation play-offs will take place in March, with the draw on Thursday.