Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has slammed Nigeria coach Eric Chelle for suggesting that DR Congo used ‘voodoo’ during the 2026 World Cup playoff final, insisting no nation has ever won the World Cup through supernatural means.

Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo following a tense 1-1 draw over 120 minutes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, their second consecutive World Cup miss.

In a video shared by ESPN Africa on X, Chelle claimed he reacted out of frustration after noticing what he described as repeated “signals” from the DR Congo technical bench during VAR reviews for penalty decisions.

“During all the penalty decisions, a guy from Congo did some ‘voodoo’… every time,” Chelle said.

Aiyegbeni, who earned 52 caps and scored 21 goals for Nigeria, described Chelle’s remarks as disgraceful and unbefitting of a national team coach.

“It was the first time I heard a Nigerian coach talking about voodoo. If it were ‘voodoo’, I think an African country would have won the World Cup a long time ago. It’s a shame for him to say that,” the former Middlesbrough and Everton striker said.

“He should have just congratulated DR Congo. Instead, he brought shame to Nigeria. Coming out after losing a final to say it’s because of ‘voodoo’ is unacceptable. Just say we did our best and were unlucky.”

Aiyegbeni also criticised Chelle’s behaviour on the touchline during the ill-tempered final.

“We lost on penalties, and he even tried to fight someone. They had to pull him back. It’s not a good look for him or for Nigeria. He’d better learn from that.”

The 43-year-old striker urged the Super Eagles to move on quickly and focus on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, scheduled from December 21 to January 18.

“We have to focus now on the AFCON. The coach should let this go and prepare the team,” he said. (BusinessDay)