The elimination that ignited the controversy

Nigeria suffered one of the toughest blows in recent years after being knocked out of the 2026 World Cup following a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo. The match began well for the Super Eagles, who took the lead through Frank Onyeka, but Meschack Elia’s equaliser forced extra-time and a shootout that ended 4-3 in favour of the Congolese side.

But the truly shocking moment came after the final whistle: head coach Éric Chelle claimed that throughout the entire penalty shootout, DR Congo’s players were performing acts of “voodoo”.

Chelle’s accusation: “They did it on every penalty”

In the post-match press conference, Chelle said he felt uncomfortable and nervous about what he allegedly saw:
“During all the penalties, Congo’s players were doing voodoo. Every time… every time,” he told the media.

When asked to explain exactly what he witnessed, the coach gestured with his arm, suggesting strange movements or actions — even mentioning “water or something like that” — though he struggled to give precise details.

The tension escalated further when, after Chancel Mbemba scored the decisive penalty, Chelle confronted members of DR Congo’s technical staff and had to be pulled away by members of Nigeria’s own staff.

Silence from DR Congo and an official denial

While Nigeria attempted to process yet another painful elimination — their third missed World Cup since 2006 — DR Congo coach Sébastien Desabre downplayed the incident, saying “there was no issue.”
Later, a representative of DR Congo strongly denied any irregular behaviour and dismissed Chelle’s claims as unfounded.

Even so, Chelle doubled down, repeating his accusations again in English in the mixed zone:
“During all the penalties, Congo’s players were doing voodoo.”

Nigeria: out of the World Cup and full of open wounds

Beyond the controversy, the sporting reality is brutal: Nigeria, one of Africa’s historical powerhouses, will miss yet another World Cup. A generation expected to compete at the highest level falls short again — this time wrapped in one of the most controversial claims of the entire African qualifiers.

The entire continent is talking about it. But one thing is certain: controversy or not, DR Congo remain alive in the race for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada… while Nigeria must wait another four years.