The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has advanced to the inter-confederation playoffs for the 2026 World Cup by defeating Nigeria in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time. This match took place in Morocco as part of the African qualifying playoffs. DR Congo’s goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu, who was substituted in just before the shootout, made two crucial saves, while captain Chancel Mbemba successfully converted the decisive penalty.
Nigeria initially took the lead in the match when Frank Onyeka scored in the third minute. A defensive misclearance from DR Congo allowed Onyeka to capitalize and find the net, aided by a deflection. Nonetheless, DR Congo was able to equalize in the 32nd minute thanks to a goal from Meschack Elia, which came after a swift counterattack led by Cedric Bakambu.
The mini-tournament, hosted in Rabat, featured the best runners-up from nine African qualifying groups. The nine group winners secured automatic entry to the World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The match saw both teams play carefully, with neither wanting to concede. Fatigue may have impacted Nigeria, who required extra time to overcome Gabon in their semifinal, while DR Congo had completed their match against Cameroon within 90 minutes. In extra time, both sides created limited opportunities, including a missed header from Nigerian substitute Tolu Arokodare and a save from Nigeria’s goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali against Mbemba.
With their victory, DR Congo now awaits the draw for the inter-confederation playoffs scheduled for March. They aspire to qualify for their first World Cup since 1974, when the nation was known as Zaire. Other African nations, such as Egypt, Senegal, and Ghana, have already secured their spots in the upcoming tournament.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/11/16/dr-congo-shock-nigeria-on-penalties-to-win-african-world-cup-playoffs?traffic_source=rss