DR Congo beat Nigeria on penalties to keep World Cup dream alive
Chancel Mbemba of the Democratic Republic of Congo' celebrates after scoring the winning penalty against Nigeria in the final of the 2026 Fifa World Cup Africa qualifiers playoffs at Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on November 16, 2025.
The mini-tournament in Rabat was for the best runners-up across the nine African qualifying groups.
The Democratic Republic of Congo competed at the World Cup in 1974 when the country was still known as Zaire.
The Democratic Republic of Congo kept alive hopes of a World Cup place as they edged Nigeria 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time to win the African qualifying playoffs in Morocco on Sunday.
DR Congo now await the draw on Thursday for the inter-confederation playoff in March where six teams will chase two places at the 48-team finals.
