Nigeria coach Eric Chelle has alleged that a member of the DR Congo backroom staff engaged in “voodoo” rituals during the penalty shootout of Sunday’s World Cup playoff in Rabat, where the Super Eagles were eliminated from the race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The term voodoo is often used loosely in sports to describe spiritual or ritual practices believed, accurately or not, to influence the outcome of a match. Such claims typically arise in moments of high tension or frustration, rather than being substantiated by evidence.

Nigeria lost 4–3 on penalties after the match ended 1–1 across 120 minutes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, marking the second consecutive World Cup the Super Eagles will miss.

In a video posted by ESPN Africa on X on Monday, Chelle was seen speaking to journalists about the incident that allegedly occurred during a VAR review of a penalty decision. Visibly agitated, the coach claimed he saw repeated gestures from a DR Congo official that he interpreted as ritual acts.

“During all the penalty decision, a guy of Congo did some voodoo… Every time, every time, every time. So this is why I was a little nervous after him,” he said.

When pressed to describe what he witnessed, Chelle gestured with his hands and added: “Something like that. I don’t know if it’s water or something like that.” The allegation has not been independently verified.

Nigeria had taken an early lead through Frank Onyeka in the third minute before M. Elia levelled for DR Congo in the 32nd minute. Both sides pushed for a winner in extra time, but neither could find the breakthrough.

The penalty shootout was tense and unpredictable. Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon missed early attempts for Nigeria, while goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali saved DR Congo’s first kick to keep the contest alive. Akor Adams’ conversion momentarily restored hope, but DR Congo ultimately scored their fourth penalty to seal a 4–3 victory.

The win sends DR Congo into the intercontinental playoff for a chance to claim a spot at the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Nigeria had booked their place in the final after a dramatic 4–1 extra-time win over Gabon on Thursday, while DR Congo advanced by defeating Cameroon 1–0 in their semi-final clash.

The Leopards now await their intercontinental playoff opponent as their qualification journey continues, while the Super Eagles exit the campaign in painful fashion.