Eric Chelle: Super Eagles Boss Escapes FIFA Sanction Over Voodoo Saga Against DR Congo
- Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has gone unpunished by FIFA after the incident against DR Congo in November
- Chelle created a scene during the playoff and was spotted being held back by his technical staff during the penalty shootout
- DR Congo beat Nigeria to clinch the playoff spot, but the NFF submitted a petition which FIFA is currently reviewing
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle escaped FIFA's sanction after his conduct during Nigeria vs DR Congo in the African playoff final on November 16, 2025.
Nigeria and DR Congo met in the playoff final at Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Morocco to decide Africa’s representative at the intercontinental playoff.
Source: Twitter
Frank Onyeka opened the scoring for Nigeria in the third minute and Meschak Elia equalised for Congo in the 32nd minute. Nothing separated the two sides for 120 minutes.
The match went into penalties, which DR Congo won after substitute goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu saved Moses Simon and Semi Ajayi’s penalties while Calvin Bassey hit it off target.
Nigeria’s goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali also saved two Congolese penalties from Samuel Moutoussamy and Axel Tuanzebe, but Nigeria crashed out.
An incident ensued during the shootout when Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle was restrained by his staff as he attempted to charge into the Congolese technical area.
The Malian, after the match, alleged that the Congolese were doing voodoo, which was why he went after him.
“During the penalty session, a guy from DR Congo did some voodoo. Every time, every time, every time, so this is why I was a little bit nervous after him,” he told ESPN.
“I saw something like that (raising his hand, chanting something). I don't know if it's water or something.”
Chelle escapes FIFA’s sanction
There were claims after the game that FIFA will charge the Super Eagles boss and sanction him for unsporting behaviour during the penalty shootout.
However, the manager’s actions have gone unpunished in the latest FIFA's Disciplinary Report from the November 2025 international break.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Federation of Congolese Football Associations (FECOFA) were sanctioned by the world football governing body.
FIFA fined NFF 1,000 Swiss Francs ( about ₦1.7 million) for the disruption after the match, while FECOFA received a 5,000 Swiss Franc fine.
Source: Getty Images
FIFA sanctioning both countries was not the expected news from Nigerians and Congolese, but rather the verdict on Nigeria’s petition.
The NFF submitted a petition to FIFA challenging the eligibility of some Congolese players, claiming FIFA was misled into approving their nationality switch.
FIFA is yet to rule on the matter as the intercontinental playoff is two weeks away in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey.
NFF clarifies Chelle's future
Legit.ng previously reported that NFF clarified Chelle’s future after reports emerged that Wydad Casablanca and the Moroccan national team are interested in his services.
The federation remains calm and reiterated that discussions are ongoing about a contract extension and that the manager has a year left on his current deal.
Source: Legit.ng
