Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been dashed again after a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo, a match now mired in controversy following allegations of voodoo interference. During the final round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the CAF zone, the Super Eagles were held 1-1 after full time, before falling 3-4 in penalties to DR Congo. The result meant Nigeria failed to qualify for back-to-back World Cups.
However, Post-match, Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, accused the DR Congo staff of resorting to voodoo practices during the penalty shootout. Speaking in a post-match interview, Chelle said,“The guy of Congo did some voodoo. Every time, every time, every time, so this is why I was a little nervous (of) him,”. The video of the interview has now gone viral on social media.
Nigeria to miss World Cup for second consecutive year
Eyewitnesses reported a tense exchange on the sidelines, where Chelle appeared enraged, running toward the Congolese technical team. The atmosphere intensified as DR Congo made a bold tactical move substituting first-choice goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi with Timothy Fayulu moments before the shootout. Fayulu proved decisive, blocking penalties from Nigeria’s Moses Simon and Semi Ajayi to secure DR Congo’s historic qualification.
Nigeria’s heartbreak deepened when star striker Victor Osimhen was forced off the field with an injury earlier in the game, weakening the team’s attacking power. Despite Ademola Lookman’s creative efforts, Nigeria fell short once again on the world stage.
Nigeria, an African football giant, lie 19 places above DR Congo in the world rankings and were pre-match favourites. Nigeria, an African football giant, lie 19 places above DR Congo in the world rankings and were pre-match favourites. The Super Eagles had not missed back-to-back editions since their debut in 1994. The sole appearance by the Congolese came in 1974 when the mineral-rich central African country was called Zaire.
