Chelle vows to do better against DR Congo

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle is convinced that his team will avoid making the same mistakes against DR Congo in the 2026 World Cup CAF playoff final at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, November 16.

Kick-off is at 9pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).

Current form:

The Super Eagles were taken to extra time in their semifinal tie against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, after an error led to Mario Lemina scoring an 89th-minute equaliser.

Akor Adams had opened the scoring 11 minutes earlier and Chidera Ejuke restored their lead on 97 minutes before Victor Osimhen (102', 109') sealed the win with a brace.

Chelle's side have now won their last three matches and are unbeaten in six since suffering back-to-back defeats against Sudan and Senegal in qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations three months ago.

It's settled.

Nigeria vs DR Congo in the African #WCQ Play-Offs Final! 🇳🇬🇨🇩 pic.twitter.com/2LXRhvoJYN — CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 13, 2025

The Leopards weren't the favourites in their clash with Cameroon, but they gave as good as they got and eventually emerged 1-0 victors courtesy of Chancel Mbemba's stoppage-time winner.

It was DR Congo's fourth win in five games and the result against the Indomitable Lions will be a massive morale-booster for Sebastien Desabre's side, who are looking to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1974.

What was said:

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle

"I will watch this game again because we did a lot of good things but bad things too. We have to correct some things before the next game and I am confident in my team and I know that they will do better than they did against Gabon.

"The most important thing for this team is to create an identity. This identity is how we play the defence and the offence. This is why we try to improve at every FIFA window.

"These guys have improved technically, mentally and they understand what I want to do for them."

Players to watch:

Nigeria - Victor Osimhen continues to display why he's viewed as one of the most-feared strikers on the planet after scoring eight goals in his last six appearances for the Super Eagles, including a match-winning hat-trick against Benin to reach the playoffs. The Galatasaray star is a threat with both feet and his head, while he has power and pace to cause any defender a world of problems.

DR Congo - Chancel Mbemba doesn't find the back of the net often for his country, but he's a rock in defence and has helped the Leopards keep three consecutive clean sheets with their 1-0 victory over Cameroon. The 31-year-old centre-back has missed just one game in the last two years, featuring every minute of their other 23 matches.

Head-to-Head: (Last Five Matches)

Matches - 5

Nigeria wins - 3

DR Congo wins - 1

Draws - 1