World Cup (Q): Chelle says DR Congo used voodoo to beat Nigeria

Nigeria national team coach Eric Chelle has blamed black magic for the team’s defeat against DR Congo which saw them miss the 2026 World Cup.

During the African Play-off final at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Sunday, the Leopards kept their 2026 FIFA World Cup dream alive after beating the Super Eagles 4-3 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Le tir au but de la victoire encore pour Chancel Mbemba. C’est tellement le capitaine et l’âme de l’équipe #NGRRDC pic.twitter.com/3OG2P99O6r

— Kembo Waxan (@KemboFaith) November 16, 2025

Frank Onyeka gave the Super Eagles a third-minute lead, but Meschack Elia levelled on 32 minutes and, after 120 tense minutes, captain Chancel Mbemba converted the decisive spot-kick to send the Leopards into March’s inter-confederation play-off in Mexico.

Nigeria arrived buoyed by a 4-1 extra-time win over Gabon; DR Congo had eliminated Cameroon with a stoppage-time strike from Mbemba. That cagey, hard-edged form framed much of what followed.

DR Congo last appeared in World Cup in 1974

Speaking after the game, Chelle said he saw a guy from Congo doing something with a bottle, which made him quite nervous.

“During the penalty session, a guy from Congo did some voodoo every time, every time…so this is why I was a little nervous after him,” Chelle said after the game.

Asked to explain what he exactly saw, the Malian coach explained: “It was something like a bottle, I don’t know if it was water, I don’t know but he did something.”

Nigeria arrived buoyed by a 4-1 extra-time win over Gabon; while DR Congo had eliminated Cameroon with a stoppage-time strike from Mbemba. The win enabled DR Congo, who last appeared at a World Cup in 1974 as Zaire, to advance to the inter-confederation play-off from 23-31 March 2026.

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.