Eric Chelle claims DR Congo players performed ritual acts during a decisive penalty shoot-out
The head coach of the Nigerian national football team has accused the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) of using “voodoo” during the penalty shoot-out that eliminated his side from World Cup contention.
On Sunday, the DR Congo secured a place in March’s six-team inter-confederation playoffs after beating Nigeria 4-3 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw in the CAF playoff final in Rabat, Morocco.
After Chancel Mbemba converted the decisive spot-kick, Chelle confronted DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre and members of his staff, prompting a brief altercation on the touchline.
Speaking afterwards, he claimed that Congolese players engaged in ritual activity throughout the shoot-out.
🔥 OFF CAMERA DRAMA!! 🔥
Nigeria’s coach, Éric Sékou Chelle, was captured trying to fight just before the last penalty kick of the game! 😳
He was reportedly picking up a water bottle, seemingly aiming at a member of the DR Congo technical team.
“During all the penalty decisions, the guy from Congo did some voodoo. Every time, every time, every time,” he said. “So, this is why I was a little nervous after him.”
Pressed by reporters on what he had witnessed, Chelle mimicked the sprinkling of a liquid and added: “I don’t know if it’s water or something like that.”
“During all the penalties, the guy from DR Congo did some voodoo.”
Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle explains why tempers flared between him and the DR Congo staff at the end of the World Cup playoff final. pic.twitter.com/nMyTIcqlTT
The victory gives the DR Congo renewed momentum as they seek a return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when they competed under the name Zaire. For Nigeria, the defeat marks a second consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup – something they have not experienced since 1990.
The defeat prompted a response from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who urged all football stakeholders to redirect their attention to the upcoming AFCON tournament in Morocco. He noted that this is the moment to “concentrate fully” on the Cup of Nations, adding that the Super Eagles “must recover the lost glory.”
These types of allegations are not unprecedented in African football, though none has ever been formally proven.
In February, Wilson Arthur, the chairman of the Ghana FA Cup Committee, claimed that the referees were “spiritually targeted” during games. He told local media that “referees are always under a spell,” and recounted an incident in which he was advised to leave his seat because a supposed curse was placed on his team. He added that his side scored immediately after he stepped away.
