Our best penalty taker! Eric chelle slammed for benching Troost-Ekong after World Cup heartbreak

Nigeria’s quest for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially over after the Super Eagles suffered a devastating 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to the DR Congo in the CAF Playoff Final.

The high-stakes winner-takes-all match ended 1-1 after extra time. Nigeria started brightly with Frank Onyeka putting the Super Eagles ahead in the third minute, but Meschack Elia equalized for the Leopards in the 32nd minute.

The result officially sends the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Inter-Continental Playoff next March, ending Nigeria's consecutive World Cup qualification drought.

The Super Eagles' penalty woes were compounded by the earlier exit of key players, including star striker Victor Osimhen (withdrawn at halftime due to injury), Ademola Lookman, and Alex Iwobi.

The remaining players faltered from the spot, with Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon, and Semi Ajayi all missing their kicks as the team ultimately lost 4-3 in the shootout.

Head coach Eric Chelle has come under immediate and heavy criticism for his decision to leave captain William Troost-Ekong on the bench throughout the entire 120 minutes, even when the match was clearly headed for a penalty shootout.

The choice is particularly perplexing given that Ekong has become the country’s designated, most reliable spot-kick taker, having successfully converted twice during the last AFCON and scoring from the spot during the qualification rounds.