Nigeria's head coach, Eric Chelle (48), has accused a member of the Democratic Republic of Congo team of practicing 'witchcraft' after his team's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup were dashed by a penalty shootout loss (3-4) following a 1-1 draw in the African playoff final at the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat. The match ended 1-1 after both regular and extra time, securing the 'Panthers' a spot in the intercontinental playoff, scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico and featuring six teams. In his post-match press conference, Chelle stated that one of the DR Congo players 'practiced witchcraft repeatedly'.
