Nigeria coach: "During all the penalties, the guy from DR Congo did some voodoo"

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has lodged an unusual accusation against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) following Nigeria's painful defeat in a World Cup qualifying playoff final on Sunday in Morocco.

The loss is a significant blow for the Nigerian team, eliminating the great footballing nation from the next World Cup, a particularly bitter outcome even after AFCON's increased qualification quota. Star players like Victor Osimhen will now miss the global tournament.

Match Summary

The highly contested final saw the Super Eagles take an early lead in the first half when Frank Onyeka's shot was deflected into the net. However, DR Congo managed to equalize through Mechak Elia, leading to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of play. Osimhen was withdrawn at half time after having some discomfort.

The match was ultimately decided by a penalty shoot-out, where DR Congo triumphed after key Nigerian players, including Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon, and Semi Ajayi, failed to convert their kicks. This victory secured DR Congo a spot in the intercontinental playoffs scheduled for March next year, representing Africa

Coach Chelle's explanation

When explaining his visibly frustrated towards Congo bench during the penalties, Chelle stated:

"During all the penalty sessions, the guy from Congo did some voodoo... Every time, so this is why I was a little nervous after him.”

When pressed for details on what the individual was doing, Chelle offered a cryptic description:

“Yeah, something like, I don’t know if it’s water or something like that [he was spraying it up]