• Disappointed Nigerians trade blame after Super Eagles’ failure
While the blame game continues to trail Nigeria’s loss to the Leopards, the disappointment from the loss will not only be felt by the fans but also the players, as about 70 per cent of the current Super Eagles players may never feature in the World Cup before their careers end.
Apart from William Troost-Ekong, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho, none of the current players in the Super Eagles set up has featured in the Mundial. Most of them may no longer be playing at the World Cup level for the next edition of the competition in 2030 due to age or other variables in the game.
With the victory over Nigeria, DR Congo joins New Caledonia and Bolivia as teams to have qualified for the inter-continental playoff billed to hold in Mexico in March next year.
For those still looking for the reasons for Nigeria’s defeat in the final game of the 2026 World Cup African playoff, look no further than the dark arts employed by the Congolese team during the game that ended 4-3 in the Leopards’ favour. That was what Super Eagles’ Coach, Eric Chelle, claimed. And then there is the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) alleged failure to prepare a conducive environment for the team to play to the best of their ability.
The higher-ranked Nigeria was tipped to beat DR Congo to qualify for the inter-continental playoff, but the Leopards totally outclassed the Super Eagles in regular time, which ended 1-1 and went on to win the ensuing penalty shootout 4-3.
Unable to explain how his wards could not match the more mobile Congolese, Chelle said that the East Africans engaged in “voodoo” rituals to cage the Eagles during the penalty shootout.
An irate Chelle stormed toward the Congolese technical area, confronting head coach Sébastien Desabre and his staff before being restrained by Nigeria’s backroom team members.
The 48-year-old Malian alleged that the Leopards engaged in “maraboutage,” a term referring to the use of spiritual or supernatural rituals.
Another reason proffered for the Super Eagles’ failure is the players’ decision to down tools on the eve of the championship, which many blame for their lethargic display against the Leopards on Sunday.
The Super Eagles embarked on a one-day strike on arrival in Morocco, which meant that they had only one day to prepare for the opening game against Gabon, which they won 4-1 after extra time. But they could not repeat the feat against DR Congo on Sunday as they lost the ticket to represent Africa at the inter-confederation playoff to the Leopards.
That poor preparation showed in the lethargy that characterised their game as the players looked fagged out in the second half of the match against DR Congo.
Although the Super Eagles called off the strike a day before the opening game, observers said that by then the damage had already been done.
Quoting ex-BBC correspondent, Osasu Obayiuwana, soccernet.ng revealed that the players knew that the Federal Government had given the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) enough money to settle the just over $130,000, due to them for their World Cup qualifying wins over Lesotho in South Africa and Benin in Uyo.
The players called off the strike following the intervention of the National Sports Commission (NSC), which said that it had given the NFF N1 billion to settle the players.
The last two teams will be known today when the Asian team, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, complete their playoff. In the first leg of the playoff, Iraq and the UAE played 1-1, with the decisive leg billed for today in the UAE.
They could be joined by Costa Rica and Curaçao, who are currently occupying CONCACAF’s two playoff slots.
Meanwhile, reports say that each of the players in the Congolese squad that defeated Nigeria on Sunday will receive a $1 million bonus for that feat courtesy of the Congolese government.
The Congolese government offered to pay each of the players $1 million as motivation to beat Nigeria and win Africa’s playoff ticket, according to reports from the East African country. The reports said that the bonus would be triggered even in the event of non-qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
According to the report, the $1 million largesse would be given to the players, only, through the Congolese bank Rawbank.
In Kinshasa, yesterday, President Félix Tshisekedi congratulated the Leopards, described their victory as “historic” and urged the nation to rally behind the team ahead of the intercontinental playoffs.
He expressed ‘pride and admiration’ for a performance he said showed “exceptional determination and resilience,” while also extending gratitude to Congolese supporters whose “unwavering support” propelled the team to victory.
Tshisekedi further urged Congolese citizens to turn out en masse yesterday at N’djili International Airport to receive the team before a celebratory carnival at the Martyrs Stadium, where he would personally welcome the players.
He described the prospect of reaching the 2026 World Cup as “a message of hope for Congolese youth,” marking what would be only the DRC’s second-ever appearance at football’s biggest showpiece.
