When the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) take to the pitch at Moi International Sports Centre (MISC), Kasarani on Sunday afternoon against Kenya in the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan), they will be playing for more than just three points.
DRC players will be competing in the tournament against the backdrop of a raging war back at home in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, and the “Leopards” coached by former national team player Otis N’Goma, will be looking to give more than 105 million Congolese back at home something to cheer about.
M23 rebels have made major advances across eastern DRC, capturing key cities and towns such as Goma and Bukavu. According to government statistics, some 7,000 people have died in the conflict since January this year. The war has also disrupted sporting activities.
DRC, who won the Chan title in 2009 and in 2016, are in Group ‘A’ alongside Kenya, 2018 and 2020 winners Morocco, Angola and Zambia. The team has been training at Ufundi Sports Ground in Makongo in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, ahead of the tournament.
On Sunday, when DRC take on Harambee Stars from 3pm at MISC Kasarani, the team will be cheered on by a sizable chunk of Congolese nationals living in Nairobi. Congolese living in Nairobi have formed a group called “Youth Diaspora Congolese in Kenya.” On Monday, William Saidi, the president of Youth Diaspora Congolese in Kenya, said they are excited that 2024 Chan is coming to Nairobi, and hope that DRC can perform well in the tournament so as to bring relative peace back in their country.
“This competition can bring relative peace back home and even amongst us who live here (Kenya),” said Saidi, who has been residing in Kenya since 2020, when the conflict displaced him in Goma.
DRC fans during a past football match
Photo credit: Pool
Although he is living in Syokimau in Machakos County, there will be no divided loyalties for him when the “Leopards” play Kenya. “We are trying to mobilise all Congolese nationals in Kenya to cheer our team. When we sing one song and dance together with our flag, it brings unity. These matches will offer a golden opportunity for us (Congolese) to at least forget about the fighting and the challenges we and our people are going through back home. If we play good football and perform well, it will show the World that there are many good things about DRC apart from Rhumba music,” he added.
Francis Msafiri, a 29-year-old Congolese who has been residing in Kenya since 2010, as a refugee athlete, said: “The matches can have a very big impact towards finding peace in Congo. We are always united in cheering our team.”
He cited a 2005 incident where Cote d’Ivoire football legend Didier Drogba helped bring peace in his country after the “Elephants” qualified for the 2006 World Cup by defeating Sudan. Drogba made a desperate plea to the warring groups to lay down their arms.
Saidi said they hope to buy at least 2000 tickets for the match, and they are raising funds for their compatriots from other Kenyan towns to attend the matches. He has predicted that the “Leopards” will reach the semi-finals.
“We have experience of competing in Chan, so we are sure of beating Kenya and reaching the semi-finals. Only Morocco is a threat to us in our pool,” said Saidi.
But he also lamented over the decision by Kenya’s Local Organising Committee for the competition to ban fans from carrying various devices, including whistles, vuvuzela, drums and loudspeakers to the stadiums.
“Congolese love music. We had planned to cheer our team in style, so we are disappointed by the ban on drums and vuvuzelas. We will have to locate a strategic place where we are well visible to cheer from,” he said.
With DRC boasting of several top players thanks to the country’s strong top-flight football league, Msafiri exuded confidence that the team would clinch the title.
“The DRC league is top, so we have very good players. While our group is tough, we have high hopes of reaching the final,” said the TP Mazembe die-hard. The 26-man DRC squad are currently fine-tuning for the Chan tournament in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. They are scheduled to face defending champions Senegal in a friendly match today.
