Rabat, Morocco – Nigeria’s bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup ended in dramatic fashion after a 4-3 penalty shoot-out loss to DR Congo in the African play-off final. The match, played after a 1-1 draw, decided which team would advance to the intercontinental play-offs scheduled for March.
Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle sparked controversy by claiming that DR Congo had been practising “voodoo” during the shoot-out. Social media footage showed Chelle confronting members of the DR Congo bench before the final penalty, gesturing wildly and picking up a water bottle as Chancel Mbemba converted the winning kick. Chelle was restrained twice by his own staff while trying to approach the opposing bench.
“During the entire penalty shootout, the guy from DR Congo was doing voodoo,” Chelle said after the game. “Every time, every time, every time. That’s why I was a little nervous after him.” When asked to describe what he saw, Chelle gestured in the air and added, “I don’t know if it was water or something.”
DR Congo has denied the allegations, according to reports. Nigeria, absent from the Qatar 2022 tournament, will now miss back-to-back World Cups. The Super Eagles had taken an early lead through Frank Onyeka in the third minute, but Meschack Elia equalised for DR Congo before the half-hour mark. The rest of the match was tense, with Nigeria losing momentum after Victor Osimhen was withdrawn at half-time due to injury.
Mbemba’s decisive penalty came just days after he scored a stoppage-time winner over Cameroon in the semi-final. DR Congo will now join the intercontinental play-offs in March, facing six nations competing for two World Cup spots. Confirmed participants include Bolivia and New Caledonia, with Asian representation from either Iraq or the UAE, and two CONCACAF nations set to compete.
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