Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has alleged that a member of the DR Congo backroom staff engaged in inappropriate “ritual actions” during the penalty shootout of Sunday’s World Cup playoff in Rabat, where the Super Eagles were eliminated from the race to the 2026 tournament.
Chelle’s comments came after Nigeria suffered a 4–3 defeat on penalties following a 1–1 draw over 120 minutes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The loss means the Super Eagles will miss the World Cup for the second successive edition.
In a video published on Monday by ESPN Africa, Chelle expressed frustration over what he described as repeated gestures by a DR Congo staff member during the VAR review for a potential penalty late in the game.
“During the whole penalty decision, a guy from Congo was doing some kind of ritual… every time, every time,” he said. “That’s why I reacted the way I did.”
When pressed for clarification, the coach gestured with his hands and said he could not confirm whether the individual was sprinkling liquid or performing another action.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
Nigeria had taken an early lead through Frank Onyeka in the third minute before Meschack Elia equalised for DR Congo on 32 minutes. Both teams created openings in extra time but failed to find a winner.
The shootout saw Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon miss from the spot, while goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali saved DR Congo’s first kick to briefly keep Nigeria in contention. Akor Adams converted his effort, but DR Congo held their nerve to win 4–3 and advance.
The Leopards will now compete in the intercontinental playoff for one of the remaining slots at the expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Nigeria had reached the playoff final after a 4–1 extra-time victory over Gabon on Thursday, while DR Congo progressed with a 1–0 win over Cameroon.
The defeat brought a painful end to the Super Eagles’ qualification campaign, while DR Congo move one step closer to their first World Cup appearance since 1974.
