By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle has attributed part of the tense post-match confrontation that followed Sunday’s World Cup playoff defeat to DR Congo to what he described as “ritual-like gestures” by a member of the Congolese technical crew during the decisive penalty shootout.
Addressing journalists after Nigeria’s 4–3 shootout loss in Rabat, Chelle alleged that the unidentified official repeatedly performed actions he believed were intended to distract Super Eagles players as they stepped forward to take their kicks.
“During the penalty session, the guy from DR Congo did some voodoo,” Chelle said. “Every time a Nigerian player stepped up, he did something. I saw something like water or something similar, and that’s why I reacted the way I did.”
Chelle did not provide further details, and DR Congo’s delegation has not publicly responded to the claim. Match officials also did not report any irregularities during the shootout.
Nigeria and DR Congo played out a tense 1–1 draw across 120 minutes before the Leopards prevailed on penalties to secure Africa’s slot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup intercontinental playoff scheduled for March in Mexico.
The defeat deepens Nigeria’s recent World Cup struggles, marking the first time since their debut appearance in 1994 that the three-time African champions have failed to qualify for consecutive tournaments.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
