Nigeria’s Super Eagles suffered a heartbreaking exit from the CAF World Cup playoff after a tense penalty shootout against DR Congo. The match, held in Rabat, ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, but the Super Eagles fell 6-5 in penalties, missing their chance to advance to next year’s intercontinental playoffs.
Tempers boiled over at the final whistle, with benches clashing and Nigerian coach Éric Chelle visibly seething before officials stepped in to calm the situation.
Chelle suggested that unusual ritualistic actions from a DR Congo official may have affected his team’s focus during the penalty shootout. “During the penalty session, a guy from Congo did some voodoo. Every time, every time, every time,” he said.
He described seeing strange hand movements and liquids being poured, though he couldn’t confirm what it was. “I don’t know if it’s water or something else, but it happened repeatedly,” Chelle added, noting that the gestures seemed to distract his players and contributed to the tension after the final kick.
The controversial remarks highlight the growing frustrations surrounding the Super Eagles’ playoff campaign, leaving fans to reflect on what could have been as Nigeria’s World Cup dreams face an unexpected setback.
