DR Congo ‘Hex’ Alert for England’s Three Lions in World Cup Clash

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, June 30, 2026

England's World Cup campaign continues as they prepare to face DR Congo in the last-32 round, following the Congolese team's unexpected qualification and advancement after controversial claims of voodoo rituals during their African playoff victory over Nigeria. These supernatural allegations add a unique tension to the match, which England hopes to win to maintain their momentum in the tournament.

England’s World Cup campaign continues with a last-32 match against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) amid unusual allegations of supernatural interference linked to the qualifying stages. The DR Congo team qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1974 after a series of decisive matches, including a penalty shootout victory over Nigeria in an African playoff final last November.

Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle claimed that members of the DR Congo side used voodoo practices during the penalty shootout. Chelle alleged that he witnessed a Congolese individual shaking water or a similar substance repeatedly while penalties were being taken, which he interpreted as an attempt to cast a spell. This ritual, according to Chelle, contributed to Nigeria’s 4-3 defeat on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Chelle confronted the DR Congo manager Sébastien Desabre after the match but later apologized for his comments, although he did not withdraw the accusations. The DR Congo coaching staff denied the claims, with Desabre describing the confrontation as “not an issue.”

DR Congo’s World Cup journey also included a narrow 1-0 extra-time victory over Jamaica in an intercontinental playoff held in Mexico in March. Known as The Leopards, the team has become one of the surprises of the tournament after securing a 1-1 draw against Portugal and a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, setting up a clash with England.

The voodoo allegations are not unprecedented during this tournament. Earlier, a Ghanaian witch doctor publicly placed a curse on England’s star striker Harry Kane in the group stage match between England and Ghana, which ended 0-0. The witch doctor, Nana Kwaku Bonsam, later claimed to have lifted the curse prior to England’s final group game against Panama, in which Kane scored the second goal in a 2-0 victory.

England managed to overcome a separate alleged curse before advancing to this stage, and now face concerns about similar supernatural tactics purportedly employed by DR Congo. The Three Lions will meet The Leopards in a much-anticipated knockout round match as both sides seek to progress further in the tournament.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.