Best Odds Center
best odds centre button
Click here!
Sport TV
watch live tv button
Click here!
to watch
Live FootBall
NPFL
Click here!
Live Scores
play watch Live Score button
Click here!

Nigeria’s World Cup Hopes End After Penalty Loss to DR Congo

Posted : 17 November 2025

Nigeria’s ambitions of reaching the 2026 World Cup suffered a dramatic setback after a tense African play-offs final against the Democratic Republic of Congo ended in a penalty shootout defeat. The match, held in Rabat on Sunday, finished 1-1 after extra time, with DR Congo prevailing 4-3 in the shootout to secure a place in the inter-confederation play-offs in Mexico next March.

In his post-match comments, Nigeria’s coach Eric Chelle suggested that unusual rituals may have affected the outcome. “A member of the DR Congo team did some voodoo, every time, every time, every time,” he told journalists. Chelle, a former Mali international who has guided the Super Eagles to four wins and two draws in competitive matches since taking charge, admitted that the situation made him nervous during the contest.

Chelle described witnessing a DR Congo player using hand gestures as if sprinkling or shaking something, though he was unsure if it involved water or another substance. “That is why I was a bit nervous,” he said, adding that he had anticipated a difficult match in Morocco.

The penalty shootout was tense and dramatic, with four attempts saved and another missed. DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba held his composure, converting the decisive penalty despite a bottle being thrown toward him and heavy rain disrupting conditions. His goal secured DR Congo’s return to the global stage for the first time since their appearance as Zaire in 1974.

Despite Nigeria’s higher ranking—they are 19 places above DR Congo in the FIFA standings—and status as pre-match favorites, the Super Eagles were unable to claim victory. The defeat marks the second consecutive World Cup that Nigeria has failed to qualify for, a situation that has not occurred since the team’s debut at the 1994 tournament.

While Nigeria has been a regular participant at the global showcase, DR Congo’s qualification signals a historic return for the central African nation, whose footballing footprint on the world stage has been limited.

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics

close button
Please fill captcha :