Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has criticised head coach Eric Chelle for attributing Nigeria’s World Cup playoff defeat to Congo to “voodoo”.

He described the comments as unprofessional and damaging to the country’s image.

Recall Nigeria crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers after losing 4-3 on penalties in Morocco, marking a second consecutive failure to reach the tournament.

‘Embarrassing and unacceptable’ – Aiyegbeni

Chelle claimed after the match that Congo’s coach sprinkled water on the penalty spot before Nigeria’s missed kicks, suggesting it influenced the outcome.

Aiyegbeni said the remarks were unbecoming of a national team manager.

“It was the first time I heard a Nigeria coach talking about voodoo. If it was voodoo, I think an African country would have won the World Cup a long time ago,” he told Sportscasting.

“It’s a shame for him to say that… He just needed to congratulate the team and say well done for winning.”

He added that Chelle’s reaction, both on the touchline and in the press conference, reflected poorly on Nigeria.

“He is a shame to Nigeria… It’s not a good look for him and for us. He better learn from that.”

Nigeria must take responsibility, says Aiyegbeni

Aiyegbeni stressed that Nigeria created enough chances to win the game and should focus on their own shortcomings rather than external excuses.

“We had chances to win it but we lost it… Our penalties were quite poor. The pressure was too much for the players to deal with.”

Attention shifts to AFCON

With the Africa Cup of Nations set to begin in a few weeks, Aiyegbeni urged the squad to move on from the disappointment and prepare for another major test.

“We have to focus now on the AFCON… The coach should just let go.”