Chelle attacks Congo staff member over voodoo

When someone says Zaire or DR Congo (as the country has been called since 1997), the last World Cup image that comes to mind doesn’t pull you into the modern era, but deep into 1974—the time of Mobutu Sese Seko and his Zaire. Back when the powerful dictator wanted to show the world the greatness of the nation through football, and when the national team was as much a symbol of the state as it was a reflection of one man’s vanity. They played the World Cup in West Germany, suffered three heavy defeats, and then disappeared. A footballing nation of 100 million people waited half a century for another step toward the big stage.

Nigeria's World Cup hopes crushed as Leopards deliver decisive blow in Rabat

African football witnessed on Sunday night one of the most dramatic episodes in the recent history of World Cup qualifying. One of the continent’s giants, Nigeria, was eliminated from the race for a spot at the 2026 World Cup after a penalty shootout against DR Congo, who will travel to Mexico next March as the favorite to play the intercontinental playoff and fight for a place at the World Cup. Last night’s match was also marked by accusations from Super Eagles coach Eric Sekou Chelle, who claimed the opponents performed “voodoo rituals” during the penalty shootout, as well as reports of frightening movements by fans in the stands. When Chancel Mbemba scored the final penalty, the stadium quite literally erupted. In a manner of speaking, that was the moment when everything began to go wrong: Chelle ran into the DR Congo staff, shouted, gestured, got into verbal altercations, and his assistants practically dragged him away to prevent a major incident.

After the match, Chelle made several accusations—or rather observations—that further inflamed the situation. He said that DR Congo’s players “performed Marabout” during every penalty, and that he saw players acting “as if they were directing energy toward the ball”.

"Throughout the entire penalty shootout, the guy from DR Congo was doing voodoo. Every time, every time, every time... That's why I was a little nervous against him" he told ESPN in English. Asked to recreate the scene he witnessed, the former Malian player mimed aswinging motion with his right arm. "Something like that... I don't know if it was water or something".

And while DR Congo celebrates its greatest triumph in half a century, Nigeria is sinking into a second consecutive qualifying disaster. After losing to Ghana in the playoff for Qatar 2022, they have now fallen again with a generation that was supposed to set the golden standard of African football—Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze... And again, nothing. In a country where football is part of the national identity, this is seen as a national earthquake—a blow that will leave a long-lasting scar. And the stories about voodoo, rituals, sorcerers, and movements in the stands will continue to hover over this match like a myth, a symbol, an explanation for the defeat, or perhaps a caricature-like addition to a great football tragedy suffered by an African powerhouse.