HIBAPRESS – Sports
The coach of the Nigerian national team, Eric Chelle, accused the players of the Democratic Republic of Congo of resorting to "witchcraft" during the penalty shootout in the decisive match qualifying for the World Cup 2026 play-off.
The match between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time, before Nigeria lost 4-3 on penalties, depriving the "Green Eagles" of the chance to reach the World Cup. Chelle seemed angry with a member of the opposing team's staff after the end of the match. ESPN Africa quoted the Malian coach as saying: "During each penalty kick, a member of the Congolese team was performing acts similar to magic or witchcraft." He added: "In each kick, he was spraying a liquid, I don't know if it was water or something else, and this angered me." The Nigerian team failed to score three penalties, while the Democratic Republic of Congo missed two, but eventually won. The Democratic Republic of Congo continues its efforts to return to the World Cup for the first time under this name, after its only appearance in the 1974 edition when it played under the name "Zaire". The Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to play the World Cup play-off next March, where six teams will compete for two additional tickets to qualify for the World Cup finals, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
