Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo of using voodoo in their victory against Nigeria in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier African Playoff Tournament on Sunday.

A one-all draw during regulation and extra time ensured the encounter proceeded into a penalty shootout, which DR Congo won for the sole ticket to the intercontinental playoffs, ending Nigeria’s hope of featuring at the World Cup next year.

Speaking to reporters after the defeat, Chelle accused the Congolese bench of using voodoo during the shootout, which Chelle said made him nervous throughout the session.

“During the penalty session, the DR Congo did some voodoo every time, so this is why I was a little nervous,” Chelle said. “The Congolese bench was sprinkling something that is like water.”

Meanwhile, football fans have taken to social media to mock Chelle’s excuse, with some saying that Nigeria is known for its occult practices while jesting that he was only angry because the Super Eagles lost the match.

‘“Nigeria is known for juju, they just mad they met bigger than theirs,” a South African X user, Didier-Sixte Kahungu, commented, defending the Congolese.

“Look at his eyes naw. Coach, guess what? Now, you can realize how our spiritual gurus are more powerful than yours in 9JA,” another user with the handle @CongoMnHeritage posted.

A netizen, Maazi Chinualumogu, lambasted the coach for blaming the defeat on voodoo instead of addressing his own tactical deficiencies in the game.

“Eric Chelle blaming ‘voodoo’ and ‘maraboutage” from the Congolese bench instead of owning his tactics? Weak. We scored early, then parked the bus with zero ideas for 90+ minutes. No width, no midfield control, no Plan B. Congo pressed smarter, substituted better, and buried their kicks while Bassey, Simon, and Ajayi bottled it,” Chinualumogu said.

He added, “Shame on this coach for this clownery! Time to sack the excuses, rally for AFCON in Morocco next month, and get a manager who builds winners, not witch hunts.”