Nigeria’s head coach Éric Chelle made some unusual remarks following their defeat to DR Congo in the 2026 World Cup playoff match.
He claimed that a DR Congo official performed “voodoo” rituals throughout the penalty shootout. It was reported that this was the cause of a heated confrontation between Chelle and the DR Congo staff at full-time.
In Rabat, the match ended 1-1 after normal time and extra time, but Nigeria lost 6-5 on penalties, ending the Super Eagles’ hopes of participating in next year’s intercontinental playoffs.
However, the on-field drama continued along the touchline. Chelle was visibly angry during the altercation between the two teams’ players and staff after the penalty shootout.
Explaining his anger after the match, Chelle said:
“During the penalty shootout, a guy from Congo did voodoo. He kept performing these actions on every penalty. That’s why I was a bit nervous because of him.”
When asked what exactly he saw, Chelle replied:
“Something like this—” he gestured with his hands—“I don’t know, or I think it was something like this.”
Chelle emphasized that these actions distracted his players. Officials from both teams intervened to restore order and end the tension.