Former Super Eagles striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni has described as ridiculous and embarrassing Eric Chelle’s claims of ‘magical power’ as factor responsible for the defeat of the Super Eagles by the Congo national football team a few days ago.
Eric Chelle is the Chief Coach of Super Eagles and he had after the nation’s national football team got defeated by the DR Congo football team alleged the use of ‘magical power’ during the penalty shootout.
Recall that during the match in question in Rabat, Morocco, Nigeria’s Frank Onyeka had scored early (3’) before Meschak Elia equalized (32’) and it ended 1-1 over 120 minutes hence the resort to a penalty shootout.
The Super Eagles were eventually made to lose the opportunity to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the penalty shootout eventually ended 4–3 in favour of DR Congo.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who reacted to Chelle’s claims of ‘magical power’ in an interview with Sportscasting, described his remarks as embarrassing and ridiculous.
‘ It was the first time I heard the coach of the Super Eagles talking about Voodoo. If it is about voodoo, I think an African country would have won the World Cup a long time ago. Get to the final and win it. It’s a shame for him to say that and say the coach is pouring water, voodoo.
He just needed to congratulate the team and say well done for winning, rather than bringing shame to Nigeria. He is a shame to Nigeria, a coach coming out when you just lost a final, then he says it was because of voodoo, it’s not really a nice way for a coach to comment. Just say we did our best and that they were just unlucky.
We lost on penalties and he tried to fight someone there, they tried to pull him back, it is not a good look for him and for us, Nigeria too. He better learn from that, coming to the press conference and saying it was Voodoo, you lost the game.
We had chances to win it but we lost it. They all had chances, they all missed chances. But when it comes to penalties, then it is a win-win situation. If you miss it, then they score, then it is gone, which they did. And for us, our penalties were quite poor but it is normally the pressure, when you play for Nigeria, it’s a massive pressure, so the pressure was too much for the players to deal with and it happened’ Yakubu submitted.
The former Super Eagles player also urged the national football team to move on and focus on the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which will begin soon .
‘We have to focus on the AFCON now, another 25 or 24 days and they are back again. But the coach, it’s a shame for him to come out and say it was voodoo, they’re pouring water, he should just let go’ he added -Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
