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Journalism of Courage
Nigeria will not be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing to Congo in a penalty shootout in a qualifying match. But rather than look inwards, Nigeria coach Éric Chelle has blamed some unconventional tactics from his opponents: Chelle claims that a Congo team staff member used voodoo during the penalty shootout.
“The guy of Congo did some voodoo,” former Mali international Chelle told reporters in the postgame media mixed zone. “Every time, every time, every time, so this is why I was a little nervous (of) him.”
Asked to explain what happened, Chelle did a gesture of shaking a water bottle.
The legitimacy of the claims aside, Congo claimed the continent’s playoff final on Sunday in a penalty shootout where two spot kicks were saved by a substitute goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu, who was sent on late in extra time of a 1-1 draw. Fayulu replaced regular keeper Lionel Mpasi. Congo thus made the cut for the intercontinental playoffs in March.
Congo coach Sebastien Desabre’s move of changing goalkeepers in the 119th minute of the game with the chance of shootouts looming large was all the magic that Congo needed. Fayulu saved two of Nigeria’s six spot-kicks, the second from Moses Simon and the sixth by Semi Ajayi, before Congo’s Chancel Mbemba sealed the win.
The Nigerian football team has now failed to qualify for back-to-back World Cups despite star strikers Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman being in their career prime years.
Osimhen was injured in the first half Sunday and replaced at half time with the score 1-1, and Lookman also was removed in the second half.
(With inputs from the Associated Press)
