Nigeria coach alleges DR Congo ‘did some voodoo’ during penalty shoot-out defeat in World Cup qualifying
Nigeria make DR Congo ‘voodoo’ accusation after suffering World Cup qualifying heartbreak
- DR Congo defeated Nigeria 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the CAF play-off final on Sunday, securing their place in the World Cup intercontinental play-offs.
- Nigeria's head coach, Eric Chelle, accused DR Congo's players of performing "voodoo" during the penalty shootout, leading to a confrontation with the opposing coaching staff.
- The defeat means Nigeria will miss out on a second consecutive World Cup finals, having failed to qualify automatically from their group.
- During the shootout, Nigeria's Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon, and Semi Ajayi missed their penalties, with DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba converting the winning spot-kick.
- DR Congo, who last participated in the World Cup in 1974 as Zaire, will now advance to the intercontinental play-offs in March.