Nigeria's World Cup hopes have been dashed after a penalty shootout defeat by DR Congo in the African continental playoff final. The Super Eagles' manager Éric Chelle attributed his team's demise to "voodoo" after they suffered their second consecutive World Cup elimination.
The loss marked the end of a disjointed two-year qualifying campaign for Nigeria, which saw them narrowly qualify for the playoffs on goal difference. However, despite their favored position in the Fifa rankings, the Super Eagles struggled to overcome DR Congo at Rabat's Mohammed V Stadium. Frank Onyeka's deflected shot gave Nigeria an early lead, but they were soon levelled by Meschak Elia after a mistake from Wilfred Ndidi.
Nigeria's attack faltered after Victor Osimhen was substituted due to a recurring hamstring problem, allowing DR Congo to dominate possession and press hard in extra time. Stanley Nwabali made a crucial save to deny Fiston Mayele's looping header before the final whistle, sending the match into penalties.
In a dramatic shootout, Nigeria initially struggled, with Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon missing their first two spot-kicks. However, Akor Adams finally replied after Noah Sadiki converted for DR Congo. The Super Eagles regained hope when Nwabali saved Axel Tuanzebe's penalty, but Michel-Ange Balikwisha scored to send the shootout to sudden death.
Semi Ajayi saw his shot saved by Timothy Fayulu, who had been brought on specifically for penalties, and Chancel Mbemba netted the winning penalty to seal a 4-3 victory in the shootout. The result marks Nigeria's first consecutive World Cup elimination since 1990 and leaves them without a seat at next summer's tournament.
The loss has sparked controversy, with Éric Chelle accusing DR Congo of using "voodoo" to win the match. The term is commonly used in African culture to describe acts of magic or bewitchment, but it has taken on a new meaning in this context. While Chelle's claim may be seen as an attempt to deflect blame, it has left many questioning Nigeria's preparation and performance over the past two years.
DR Congo manager Sébastien Desabre, however, denied any wrongdoing, saying that his side deserved the victory. The win keeps DR Congo alive in their distant dream of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1974 when the country was known as Zaire. They will join Bolivia, New Caledonia, either Iraq or the United Arab Emirates and two teams from Concacaf – who finish qualifiers on Tuesday – for the inter-confederation playoffs, which will take place in Mexico in March.
The loss marked the end of a disjointed two-year qualifying campaign for Nigeria, which saw them narrowly qualify for the playoffs on goal difference. However, despite their favored position in the Fifa rankings, the Super Eagles struggled to overcome DR Congo at Rabat's Mohammed V Stadium. Frank Onyeka's deflected shot gave Nigeria an early lead, but they were soon levelled by Meschak Elia after a mistake from Wilfred Ndidi.
Nigeria's attack faltered after Victor Osimhen was substituted due to a recurring hamstring problem, allowing DR Congo to dominate possession and press hard in extra time. Stanley Nwabali made a crucial save to deny Fiston Mayele's looping header before the final whistle, sending the match into penalties.
In a dramatic shootout, Nigeria initially struggled, with Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon missing their first two spot-kicks. However, Akor Adams finally replied after Noah Sadiki converted for DR Congo. The Super Eagles regained hope when Nwabali saved Axel Tuanzebe's penalty, but Michel-Ange Balikwisha scored to send the shootout to sudden death.
Semi Ajayi saw his shot saved by Timothy Fayulu, who had been brought on specifically for penalties, and Chancel Mbemba netted the winning penalty to seal a 4-3 victory in the shootout. The result marks Nigeria's first consecutive World Cup elimination since 1990 and leaves them without a seat at next summer's tournament.
The loss has sparked controversy, with Éric Chelle accusing DR Congo of using "voodoo" to win the match. The term is commonly used in African culture to describe acts of magic or bewitchment, but it has taken on a new meaning in this context. While Chelle's claim may be seen as an attempt to deflect blame, it has left many questioning Nigeria's preparation and performance over the past two years.
DR Congo manager Sébastien Desabre, however, denied any wrongdoing, saying that his side deserved the victory. The win keeps DR Congo alive in their distant dream of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1974 when the country was known as Zaire. They will join Bolivia, New Caledonia, either Iraq or the United Arab Emirates and two teams from Concacaf – who finish qualifiers on Tuesday – for the inter-confederation playoffs, which will take place in Mexico in March.
i mean éric chelle blaming voodoo on them is pretty wild lol but serious though naija's gotta step up their game 
they've been so close to world cup qualification and then it slips right through their fingers 
i feel bad for the players too, victor osimhen got injured mid match and that's always a tough pill to swallow 
. Their attack was flat without Osimhen and they couldn't capitalize on their early lead 
️. DR Congo deserved it, though - they outplayed them in the 2nd half 
Nigeria's World Cup hopes got crushed but I think its time to stop blaming others 
Éric Chelle might be feeling salty about that loss but accusing DR Congo of using "voodoo" just seems like a weak excuse 
instead let's focus on how we can improve Nigeria's team for next time.
they got nigeria all riled up with "voodoo" but sempi ajayi and chancel mbemba just chillin on the bench like "yeah ok we good" 
anyway, nigeria's world cup hopes are done for another 2 years 
Nigeria's World Cup hopes are crushed 
but let's be real, they played their hearts out 
and DR Congo totally deserved that win 
. Éric Chelle blaming "voodoo" on his team is just a way to take the heat off himself 
. We love you guys, Super Eagles 
! Can't wait to see what next year brings for them 
. yeah, they got beat by a better team but attributing it to "voodoo" seems like an excuse 
. we all know nigeria has had issues with their squad and management over the past two years, so it's hard to just blame one game 
. DR Congo played the better football overall and deserved that win 
. Guess they'll just have to regroup, dust themselves off, and try again next time