Sports

DR Congo did some voodoo during the penalty session – Super Eagles coach, Éric Chelle

Published

3 weeks ago

November 17, 2025

In the final of the African World Cup qualifying play-offs, the Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated Nigeria 5-4 on aggregate in a penalty shootout to secure a spot in the intercontinental play-offs.

Some fans captured footage of the Nigerian head coach and the Democratic Republic of the Congo head coach seemingly shoving each other after the game. Nigerian head coach Éric Chelle stated that the reason for his anger was that the Democratic Republic of the Congo team had a voodoo priest performing rituals on the sidelines during the penalty shootout to disrupt the game.

After Mbemba scored the winning penalty, Nigerian head coach Chelle immediately rushed forward angrily and got into a dispute with several Democratic Republic of the Congo coaching staff members, including head coach Desabre, and Nigerian coaching staff members had to step in to pull him away.

Regarding this conflict, 48-year-old Chelle later emphasized his accusation again in English at the mixed zone: “Throughout every second of the penalty shootout, a member of the DR Congo team’s staff did some voodoo. This was the case for every penalty kick, and it made me feel very uncomfortable.”

Desabre, the head coach of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, took the floor first at the post-match press conference, stating that this conflict “is not a problem.”

Regarding this claim, a staff member of the Democratic Republic of the Congo team denied Chelle’s accusation when questioned