Did Nigeria's Coach Really Accuse DR Congo of Voodoo? The FIFA Fraud Claim, the Clearance Row and Grealish Out Again

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Did Nigeria's coach really accuse DR Congo of voodoo?

Yes, he did, in his own words, on camera, on the night Nigeria lost the African World Cup play-off final to DR Congo. This is not a rumour about a private message. It is a public accusation made by a national team coach in the mixed zone after a penalty shootout, and it is now part of the same dispute that has reached FIFA.

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle said a member of the DR Congo staff performed voodoo rituals during the penalty shootout in Rabat. His words, as reported by ESPN Africa and carried widely, were: "During the penalty session, a guy from Congo did some voodoo every time, every time, so this is why I was a little nervous after him." In a second version of the same exchange, Chelle said: "During all the penalty decisions, a guy from Congo did some voodoo, every time, every time, every time. I don't know if it was water or something like that."

The accusation came seconds after the decisive moment. DR Congo won the shootout 4-3 after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, with Chancel Mbemba scoring the winning penalty. Chelle immediately went to the DR Congo bench and had to be physically restrained by his own staff as he confronted head coach Sebastien Desabre and other members of their bench. Footage circulating online shows him gesturing and attempting to confront rival staff before being held back by his assistants. He was also seen attempting to throw a water bottle.

Desabre was dismissive when asked about it. He appeared for his press conference first and said the altercation was "not an issue". A representative of the DR Congo squad has denied the accusation, calling it unfounded. That denial matters, because nothing about the voodoo claim has been independently verified. Chelle said he saw a staff member pouring or sprinkling something. He also said he did not know what it was. No video has established that a ritual took place, and no official body has confirmed it.

What is verified is the behaviour, not the claim behind it. Chelle confronted the DR Congo bench, his staff pulled him back, and he repeated the accusation to journalists in French and in English. He used the French word "maraboutage", a form of spiritual interference, before switching to English and saying: "Throughout the penalties, Congo's players were doing some voodoo, that is why I reacted the way I did."

The fallout inside Nigeria has been sharp. Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who won 52 caps and scored 21 goals for Nigeria, called the remarks disgraceful and unbefitting of a national team coach. He said: "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 is a shame for him to say that." He also criticised Chelle's touchline behaviour, saying: "We lost on penalties, and he even tried to fight someone. They had to pull him back. It is not a good look for him or for Nigeria. He had better learn from that."

The Confederation of African Football has confirmed that the match commissioner's report, which includes Chelle's sideline altercation, is being reviewed. That means the Nigerian coach could face disciplinary measures of his own, even as his federation pursues a complaint against DR Congo. The voodoo claim is therefore not a side story. It is the opening scene of the legal fight that followed.

What is new in Nigeria's FIFA case?

The voodoo outburst was only the start. Nigeria's football authorities have now laid out, in public, why they believe the result should not stand, and the details are more specific than the first reports suggested.

Shehu Dikko, chairman of Nigeria's National Sports Commission, spoke on Arise Television's Morning Show and said Nigeria's case before FIFA is strong and "very tight". His central claim is about timing. Dikko said Nigerian football authorities began monitoring DR Congo after the Central African nation released its play-off squad on 1 November, nearly two weeks before the decisive fixtures. At that point, according to Dikko, some of the players named had not yet received FIFA clearance.

"We found out from the beginning that even the Congolese had already named players of other nationalities who had not been cleared by FIFA in their squad," Dikko said. "That was an alarm, so everybody started monitoring." He added: "We had been watching what they were doing, and then we found out a day before the qualifiers that they were getting clearances so that the players were qualified to play."

That timing claim is the new part of the case. Dikko's question is direct: "What gave them the confidence to name a player of another nationality in their squad to play a match two weeks later, when he was not qualified to play for them until the day before?" Following the play-off loss, Nigeria engaged legal and international law experts to review the situation, and Dikko said their findings suggested possible misrepresentation by DR Congo to FIFA in obtaining the clearances. He said: "There are probably, from what we found out, misrepresentations to FIFA to obtain those clearances."

Dikko also addressed the accusation that Nigeria is acting out of bitterness. "Yes, we lost. Unfortunately, everybody was angry about it. We are not sore losers, but it is part of the rules," he said. "We bring in our legal team, we bring in our international lawyers. We look at the legal opinion, we look at the laws, and we found out there is some suspicion that some things have not been done right according to the laws of the game."

The underlying complaint, reported by the BBC on Thursday 5 November, is that DR Congo fielded ineligible players in the play-off final. The Nigeria Football Federation believes players such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, both former Manchester United players who switched allegiance to DR Congo, were ineligible because Congolese law does not allow dual citizenship. NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi said: "Our contention is that Fifa was deceived into clearing them." He added: "The Congolese rule (law) says you cannot have dual nationality, but some of their players have European and French passports." ESPN reports that as many as nine DR Congo players could be covered by the complaint, and that Cameroon have filed a similar complaint.

DR Congo have rejected the challenge outright. The Congolese Football Federation branded the petition an attempt to "win via the back door" and called Nigeria "bad losers". A post on the Leopards' official social media account said: "The World Cup must be played with dignity and confidence. Not with lawyers' tricks."

Has FIFA opened an investigation?

This is the part of the story where the reporting splits, and it needs to be stated plainly rather than smoothed over.

The BBC reported on 5 November that it had contacted FIFA for comment and was waiting to hear back. FIFA itself has not publicly confirmed an investigation, and has not issued a statement about the complaint. Pulse, a Nigerian outlet, reports that FIFA has opened an investigation and acknowledged the petition. An official of the Nigeria Football Federation told ESPN that FIFA is investigating the matter and is expected to decide before the intercontinental play-offs in March.

So the honest position is this. FIFA has not publicly confirmed anything. Nigerian officials say the case is under review. One outlet reports an investigation has been opened. Until FIFA speaks, "FIFA is investigating" should be read as what Nigerian officials and some reporting say, not as a confirmed FIFA position. This post does not present it as confirmed.

What is confirmed is that Nigeria has filed a formal complaint, that it includes supporting documents and legal arguments, and that DR Congo have rejected it. The decision, whenever it comes, is expected before the intercontinental play-offs in March, when DR Congo are due to face the winner of the semi-final between New Caledonia and Jamaica for one of the final two places at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

FIFA has three broad options, and fans should not assume a complaint means a replay or a forfeit. It could dismiss the case, leaving DR Congo's place intact. It could investigate and impose an administrative sanction, such as a fine or warning, while leaving the result unchanged. Or it could order a sporting sanction, such as a forfeit, which would hand the March play-off place to Nigeria. There are precedents for results changing after the event in this qualifying cycle. FIFA deducted six points from Equatorial Guinea after captain Emilio Nsue was found ineligible, although that decision was later reversed and the points were never returned. South Africa saw a win against Lesotho overturned to a 3-0 defeat for fielding a suspended player. Neither case turned on another country's domestic citizenship law, which is what makes Nigeria's case unusual, and unusually hard to predict.

What is the latest on Vinicius Jr and Sadie Sink?

The celebrity crossover story from earlier this week is still circulating, and still unconfirmed. Foot Mercato reported on Monday 2 November that Vinicius Jr messaged Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink on Instagram, inviting her to watch a Real Madrid match from a VIP box at the Santiago Bernabeu, and that she turned him down. Neither Vinicius nor Sink has said a word publicly about it, and neither is quoted in the report confirming any of it.

The context is real, and it is what keeps the story alive. Vinicius split again with Virginia Fonseca, and her team confirmed the split on 11 October, framing it as mutual. The fallout since then has included mutual unfollows and deleted photos. Vinicius is also serving a four-match suspension in La Liga after his red card against Villarreal, which means he is watching Real Madrid's games from the stands while he waits to return.

There is no new confirmation to add today. Until one of the two people involved speaks, this remains a reported claim, not a fact. It is included here because fans are still searching for it, and the honest answer is still the same: reported, not confirmed.

Why is Grealish out again tonight?

The third football drama of the day is closer to home, and it now has a firm decision. Jack Grealish will miss a fourth successive Everton match on Friday night, after manager David Moyes confirmed at Thursday's pre-match press conference that the winger will not be in the squad to face Coventry City at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

"Jack is not available," Moyes said. "I wouldn't give you the plan, but we will be working with Jack again soon." Asked whether Grealish was presently at the club, Moyes added: "I would rather not answer your question. Right from the start hopefully you picked up on my words. I said it was a 'club issue' and it continues to be that."

Grealish, 31, on loan at Everton from Manchester City for a second successive season, has not played since the defeat by Chelsea on 17 October. The absence began with illness, then a breach of club discipline after he missed a training session without permission, which saw him left out of the 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Newcastle on 29 October. He was then left out again for Monday's 1-0 Premier League win at Newcastle, with the club citing a fitness issue. Moyes has insisted there is a way back, saying "Of course there is" when asked if the situation could be repaired, but he has put no date on a return. With the international break now starting, Grealish will not play again until 23 November at the earliest, when Everton visit Brentford.

The numbers explain why this matters. Grealish has made eight appearances this season with no goals or assists. He cost 100 million pounds when he joined Manchester City from Aston Villa, and his City contract expires at the end of this season, which would make him a free agent in 2027. Reports this week have suggested Everton would prefer to keep the loan rather than end it early in January, but that depends on the player forcing his way back into Moyes' plans.

Everton, meanwhile, ended a nine-game run in the Premier League without an away win by beating Newcastle 1-0 on Monday, and they did it without him. Friday against Coventry is the last game before the break, and Moyes could otherwise have a full squad available, with a late check on Jarrad Branthwaite, who came off with cramp on Monday. Thierno Barry, who has scored eight goals in 12 appearances this season, leads the attack.

What else should fans watch this weekend?

Friday night is Everton v Coventry at 20:00 London time, and it is the only Premier League game before the international break begins. The weekend's other big domestic game is Manchester United v Aston Villa on Sunday, which is the last test for Ruben Amorim's successor situation before the break. United beat Roma 3-2 on Tuesday to end a nine-game winless run in all competitions, and the Villa game decides whether that recovery holds or collapses before the pause.

The international break then takes over, and the Nigeria case will keep running in the background. FIFA has said nothing publicly, DR Congo have said plenty, and Nigeria's sports commission chairman has now put the clearance timing claim on television. The next step belongs to FIFA, and the next football on the pitch belongs to the international window.

| Fixture | When | What matters | |---|---| | Everton v Coventry City | Friday 6 November, 20:00 London | Grealish out for a fourth straight game, last match before the break | | Manchester United v Aston Villa | Sunday 8 November | United's last test before the break after the Roma comeback | | Nigeria v DR Congo case | Decision expected before March | FIFA has not publicly confirmed an investigation |

Related live posts: Nigeria v DR Congo: FIFA Fraud Claim Explained, and Man Utd 3-2 Roma: Cunha Comeback, Yamal Record, and Wednesday Night Awaits.

Sources: BBC Sport, Nigeria allege DR Congo fraud as they hunt 2026 World Cup reprieve, 5 November 2026; ESPN via All Football App, Nigeria appeal to FIFA over several DRC players, 2 November 2026; Pulse Sports Nigeria, Chelle blames voodoo for play-off heartbreak, and Dikko opens up on FIFA disqualifying DR Congo, November 2026; BusinessDay Nigeria, Chelle claims DR Congo used voodoo, and Aiyegbeni slams Chelle, November 2026; The Times, Jack Grealish absent for fourth Everton match after missing training, 6 November 2026; Read Everton, Grealish ruled out against Coventry, 5 November 2026.