Nigeria vs DR Congo: No Osimhen, no party, as Chelle pays the price for tactical tweaks

Nigeria's Super Eagles' hopes of playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended after losing 3-2 on penalties against DR Congo after normal time and extra time ended 1-1.

As with the aftermath of any major loss, introspection is necessary, and even in defeat, there were still four key things we noticed during Nigeria's disappointing exit at the hands of DR Congo.

When Victor Osimhen did not emerge after the half-time break, a collective groan was heard among Nigerian fans all over the world.

As the match wore on, the reason why became apparent. Despite the introduction of Akor Adams and Tolu Arokodare (who was himself taken off), Nigeria’s attack became even more blunt as the Super Eagles missed the relentless running of Osimhen and his old up play.

Neither forward managed a shot on goal for the remaining 75 minutes of action, proving once again that the Super Eagles’ attack is hinged on Osimhen, whether for better or for worse.

For all the praise Benjamin Fredrick got for being versatile, his struggles against DR Congo showed that his best position is at centre-back.

After a man-of-the-match performance in the centre against Gabon, with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Denis Bouanga, Fredrick struggled against lower-rated forwards Fitson Mayele and Cedric Bakambu, mainly thanks to the space out wide.

While tactics were similar with 4-3-3 and the Super Eagles arguably had the more recognised name, the difference between the physicality of both sides was the main decider for DR Congo.

Throughout the match, the Super Eagles were second best physically, as they struggled to win duels or second balls, while the Leopards ran all facets of the game.

Without being able to keep the ball, Nigeria’s creativity was null, and the Super Eagles ended up having to defend with their backs to the wall for the majority of the game.

After back-to-back games with a 4-4-2 set-up, Eric Chelle reverted to a 4-3-3 and immediately paid the price for his tinkering as the Super Eagles looked completely out of sorts. 

Trying to go man-for-man with a physically dominant DR Congo side proved a costly mistake, and Nigeria could not use the route one tactics that helped relieve pressure against Gabon, with Osimhen having to compete with two centre-backs instead of one. 

Chelle operated on the assumption that Nigeria’s technical quality would shine through against Congo, but the Malian manager’s formation failed to account for other aspects of the game.