Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle claimed one of the reasons Nigeria failed to qualify for the World Cup was because a Congo technical crew member used voodoo, Soccernet.ng reports.
While the statement has garnered several hilarious reactions across social media, it didn’t go down well with former Nigeria and Brentford defender Sam Sodje.
The supposed DR Congo staff in question was Dodo Landu, who went on to clarify that he was only praying his team would win during the penalty shootout against Nigeria.
Prior to the play-offs, the Super Eagles opted to abscond from training over unpaid bonuses from their previous by the NFF.
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Team captain William Troost-Ekong eventually clarified that the payments were sorted, and Nigeria went on to tackle Gabon and DR Congo, with both games heading to extra time.
The fixtures were physically demanding, and many believed that their decision not to train ultimately cost them a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after they lost to DR Congo.
Sam Sodje slams Eric Chelle, NFF over Super Eagles’ failure
Across board, Nigerian football took a hit this year, with the Super Falcons being the exception. The Flamingoes faltered woefully, while the Flying Eagles barely scraped through the group stages before a knockout round exit at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for two consecutive World Cups has now amplified the NFF’s administrative failure. Sodje admits that while the Nigerian federation has its faults, Chelle isn’t absolved of blame either.
“Until people understand where football in Nigeria is, then they’ll understand that we didn’t lose the ticket because the boys went on strike or because they didn’t win against DR Congo,” the 46-year-old said on Beyond The Playbook.
This week on Beyond The Playbook, former Super Eagles defender Sam Sodje opens up about Nigeria’s missed 2026 World Cup ticket, expectations for AFCON 2025, the deep-rooted issues within the NFF, Victor Osimhen, and the future of the Sodje dynasty in Nigerian football pic.twitter.com/XsCkNWPCHK
— Bold Sports (@Boldsportsng) December 1, 2025
“We lost the ticket a long time ago, and we’ll keep losing the ticket until we get things right.
“If a country can accept a coach, and this is not a dent on his technical know-how, but for a coach to say the Nigerian National Team, the Super Eagles, lost because of voodoo, and people are still talking about moving on to the AFCON, it shows how bad we’ve gotten, how low we are.
“The current NFF President has no clue; we are really struggling.
“I’m surprised we’re talking football, this isn’t even about the players now, it’s about restructuring football in Nigeria,” the former Watford defender continued.
Are the Super Eagles over-reliant on Osimhen?
Ex-captain of the Super Eagles, Sunday Oliseh, mentioned Nigeria’s overdependence on Victor Osimhen was not a good sign, even stating the team are in trouble if the Galatasaray striker gets injured.
As though he were a prophet, Oliseh’s fears came to pass in Nigeria’s loss to DR Congo, as the former Napoli man was taken off at halftime, and for another 75 minutes, Eric Chelle’s side couldn’t muster a shot on target.
Sodje has weighed in on the situation, claiming it’s not out of place for a team to be led by a stand-out performer.
However, he mentioned that an individual cannot handle the weight of consistently being the stand-out talent for a team as huge as Nigeria.
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Some people think that’s something negative, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
“Having a top man that influences games is a good team for football, for any team, but you have to contribute.
“Everyone has to contribute to the victory of the team. The goals have to be shared around, but there’s nothing wrong with having a one-man team.
“How long will they continue to do that? How long will they do that for?
“A country like Nigeria shouldn’t be a one-man team,” the ex-Charlton centre-back concluded.
Nigeria have been drawn into AFCON 2025 Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda. They kick off their campaign by facing Tanzania on the 23rd of December at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fez, Morocco.