- The Democratic Republic of Congo has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Jamaica
- Axel Tuanzebe’s 100th-minute strike sealed qualification for the Leopards ahead of the Reggae Boyz
- The Nigeria Football Federation hopes to upset DR Congo with a case at the Court of Arbitration for Sports
The Democratic Republic of Congo have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Jamaica in the intercontinental playoff.
DR Congo battled to a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Reggae Boyz after extra time, thanks to Axel Tuanzebe’s strike to secure their World Cup spot.
Source: Getty Images
As noted by FIFA, the Leopards made it 10 out of a possible 10 slots for Africa at the expanded 48-nation tournament scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
According to CAF, it is the first World Cup appearance since 1974 for DR Congo, when the country was still called Zaire more than fifty years ago.
None of the current team, including head coach Sebastien Desabre, had been born then, which means their historic qualification is for generations.
The Leopards endured a long route to the tournament, which included 13 matches before finally achieving their dream of a World Cup appearance.
They finished second behind African champions Senegal in Group B of the African qualification series for the World Cup qualifier and picked up a playoff spot.
The Leopards defeated two African powerhouses, Cameroon and Nigeria, to reach the intercontinental playoff and have now defeated the Reggae Boyz.
They had the support of the entire continent, maybe not Nigeria, before their match against Jamaica, including Senegal boss Pape Thiaw.
DR Congo slots straight into Group K of the World Cup, where they will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Colombia and debutant Uzbekistan.
Nigeria hopes for favourable CAS ruling
However, all is not done for the Congolese as they must overcome a case from the Nigeria Football Federation to seal their spot at the World Cup.
DR Congo defeated Nigeria in the final of the African playoff to book their spot at the intercontinental playoff, but the NFF submitted a petition to FIFA.
NFF alleged that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during their match on November 16, 2025, even though FIFA cleared the players to compete.
Source: Twitter
The NFF claimed that DR Congo misled FIFA into approving the nationality switches as the player did not fulfil the Congolese constitution, which forbids dual citizenship.
FIFA dismissed the case, but the NFF appealed at the Court of Arbitration for Sports sitting in Lausanne, Switzerland, to override FIFA’s ruling.
CAS’ ruling might take a while, but the federation remains confident that it has a good case and can get the Leopards kicked out.
CAF sends message to DR Congo
Legit.ng previously reported that CAF sent a message to DR Congo before their 2026 FIFA World Cup intercontinental playoff against Jamaica.
The African football governing body drummed up support for the Leopards and extended the backing of the entire continent for the team ahead of the crucial match.
Source: Legit.ng
