FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament: Nigerian coach claims “voodoo” by DR Congo staff during penalty kick loss

A DR Congo team staffer used voodoo during the penalty shootout, Nigerian coach Eric Chelle claimed after the African football power was eliminated from 2026 World Cup qualifying.

Congo won the African play-off final on penalties late on Sunday – getting two saves from a substitute goalkeeper sent off late in extra time of a 1-1 draw – and advanced to the intercontinental play-offs in March.

Chelle was filmed during the firefight, becoming irritated with Congo’s coaching staff and aggressively moving towards the rival technical area.

“That man from Congo did some voodoo,” former Malian international Chelle told reporters in the mixed zone after the match. “Every time, every time, every time, so that’s why I was a little nervous for him.”

Asked to explain what happened, Chelle made a gesture of shaking a water bottle.

Nigeria have now failed to qualify for back-to-back World Cups despite star players Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman being in the prime of their careers.

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Osimhen was injured in the first half on Sunday and was replaced at halftime with the score 1-1, and Lookman was also subbed off in the second half.

Congo coach Sebastien Desabre changed goalkeepers in the 119th minute of the match with the shootout in mind, sending on Timothy Fayulu as a replacement for Lionel Mpasi.

Fayulu saved two of Nigeria’s six penalties, the second from Moses Simon and the sixth from Semi Ajayi, before Congo’s Chancellor Mbemba sealed the victory.

Fayulu’s performance mirrored the most famous substitute goalkeeper in a World Cup shootout at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

Dutch coach Louis van Gaal famously took off Jasper Cillessen and sent on Tim Krul to make two important saves against Costa Rica to send the Netherlands to the semi-finals.

Geneva-born Fayulu is currently playing on loan from Swiss club Sion with Armenian champion Noah. This season he was a regular in the UEFA Conference League.

FIFA will make the draw of six teams for the intercontinental play-offs on Thursday. Congo will be joined by Bolivia, New Caledonia, Iraq or the United Arab Emirates and two teams from the North American region CONCACAF who will complete their qualifying program on Tuesday.

Published on November 17, 2025