“Nigeria Should Be Punished”: SA Sports Minister Reacts To Coach Eric Chelle Incident After DRC Penalty Defeat

South African Sports Minister Demands Punishment For Nigeria After Touchline Drama

In a fiery social media post that has set the football world abuzz, South Africa’s Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, has declared that Nigeria must be punished following an off-camera incident involving their coach, Eric Chelle. The drama unfolded after Nigeria’s devastating penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a 2026 World Cup playoff on 17 November 2025. Minister McKenzie’s intervention has added a fresh layer of tension to the already fierce sporting rivalry between the two African giants.

The match, which ended 1-1 after extra time, saw DRC triumph 4-3 on penalties, shattering Nigeria’s World Cup dreams. However, the focus swiftly shifted from the result to the behaviour of the Nigerian coach. Social media footage circulated widely, appearing to show Eric Chelle in a heated state, seemingly attempting to confront members of the DRC technical team just before the final penalty was taken.

Minister McKenzie’s Explosive Reaction

Reacting directly to the online footage, Minister McKenzie took to his official X account to voice his strong disapproval. He did not mince his words in his post, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views.

He wrote:

“This is totally unacceptable behaviour, we will be looking very closely at this matter, this type of behaviour brings the game in disrepute. Nigeria should be punished for this unbecoming behaviour. This is football not UFC.”

This public statement represents a significant escalation in rhetoric from the minister, who just last month, in October 2025, was openly celebrating South Africa’s qualification and expressing a desire for Nigeria to fail in their own World Cup quest.

Social Media Erupts With Mixed Reactions

The minister’s strong stance immediately triggered a flood of responses on social media, with many users questioning his jurisdiction over a matter involving two other nations.

One user, Prince Sobayeni Sports, responded directly to the minister, writing:

“Don’t see how this concerns South Africa minister please lets relax.”

Another user, Didier-Sixte Kahungu, questioned the minister’s authority, posting:

“We ? Are you FIFA now ?”

However, the incident also reignited memories of past grievances for some South African fans. One user, uDlabehlezi, referenced a previous dispute, noting:

“I Remember them & Benin were writing letters to FIFA , Asking them to deduct 3 points from us.”

The Touchline Incident That Sparked The Fury

The specific incident that prompted the minister’s outburst was detailed in a viral post by user Micky Jnr. The post, also from 17 November 2025, alleged that Coach Chelle was captured on video trying to fight just before the last penalty kick.

The user claimed:

“He was reportedly picking up a water bottle, seemingly aiming at a member of the DR Congo technical team.”

This alleged action, occurring at the most critical moment of the match, is what Minister McKenzie has labelled as “unbecoming behaviour” that brings the game into disrepute. The call for punishment suggests a formal complaint to football’s governing bodies, such as FIFA or the Confederation of African Football (CAF), could be forthcoming. The match commissioner’s report on the incident is now highly anticipated.