Chelle, visibly agitated during the shootout, was seen confronting the Congo technical area. Speaking to reporters afterward, the former Mali international alleged that a member of Congo’s staff repeatedly performed suspicious actions during the penalties.
“The guy of Congo did some voodoo. Every time, every time, every time,” Chelle said, demonstrating with a water-bottle-shaking gesture to explain what he witnessed. “This is why I was a little nervous of him.”
Despite the heated post-match arguments, Congo advanced thanks to a bold tactical decision from coach Sebastien Desabre, who substituted goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi for Timothy Fayulu in the 119th minute. The move paid off spectacularly: Fayulu saved two of Nigeria’s six penalties — from Moses Simon and Semi Ajayi — before Chancel Mbemba scored the winner to seal Congo’s place in the intercontinental playoffs.
For Nigeria, the loss marks a second consecutive failure to reach the World Cup, a bitter setback for a footballing nation boasting top talents such as Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. Osimhen was forced off with an injury before halftime, while Lookman was replaced later in the match, leaving the Super Eagles without their key attackers during critical moments.
Fayulu’s heroics drew comparisons to one of football’s most iconic shootout decisions: Louis van Gaal’s 2014 World Cup swap of Jasper Cillessen for Tim Krul, who made two decisive saves for the Netherlands against Costa Rica.
Born in Geneva and currently on loan from Swiss side Sion to Armenian champions Noah, Fayulu has been a regular feature in the UEFA Conference League this season.
Congo will learn its playoff opponents on Thursday when FIFA conducts the draw for the six-team intercontinental bracket. The field includes Bolivia, New Caledonia, the Iraq–UAE playoff winner, and two additional teams from CONCACAF whose qualification runs conclude on Tuesday.
Congo now sits one step away from an unprecedented World Cup appearance — while Nigeria is left to confront another devastating qualifying collapse and the controversies surrounding its exit.