DR Congo will be going to the World Cup after defeating Jamaica at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Play-off Tournament on Tuesday, March 31. Axel Tuanzebe fired a 100th minute effort to send the Leopards to the mundial after 52 years.
The win sent a wave of celebrations among players and fans as thousands witnessed the historic moment.
”We’re happy, we’re really delighted. It was a difficult match today,” Congo DR striker Cedric Bakambu told FIFA. “I don’t think we fully realise it yet [that we are qualified], but when we get back to Kinshasa, it’s going to be crazy.”
While expressing excitement on qualifying for the World Cup, Captain Chancel Memba cautioned that the team should remain humble and focused as they will be facing top teams at the group stage.
“We’re going to enjoy the qualification, but we’ll keep working,” said Mbemba. “We know we’ll be facing top nations who play in the World Cup every four years. We’ll stay humble, keep our feet on the ground, and continue to work.”
DR Congo will face Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan in the Group K of the World Cup. It will be the first time they will return to the tournament since 1974 when they played as Zaire. The Leopards will also hope to improve on their previous outing, which ended with a record of 0-3 and a goal difference of -14.
