Advertisement

Leopards defeat Sudan, claim playoff berth

football14 October 2025 21:20| © Backpage TXT
Share
article image
DR Congo © X

DR Congo defeated Sudan 1-0 at the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa on Tuesday night to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

This Group B match saw the Leopards triumph thanks to Theo Bongonda’s goal in the first half, with the result seeing them finish just two points behind leaders Senegal.

And with a haul of 16 points (excluding results against bottom-of-the-log South Sudan), DRC were ranked second in the runners-up table, just behind Gabon and ahead of Cameroon and Nigeria.

These four teams will next compete in semifinals and a final in Morocco next month to produce one African representative for the inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026

DRC were the more aggressive and proactive team from early on, but had to wait until the 29th minute to break the deadlock, with Theo Bongonda finding the back of the net from Ngalaye Mukau’s assist.

The Leopards looked for more goals through the remainder of the first half, but had to be satisfied with a 1-0 lead at the interval.

The second half was a tense one for the hosts, who were unable to add to their advantage as the minutes ticked on, and also had to fend off several promising attacks from the Falcons of Jediane.

However, the final whistle saw them confirm a 1-0 triumph and seal a place in the playoffs.

DR Congo (1) 1 (T. Bongonda 29’) Sudan 0

DRC: L. Mpasi-Nzau, T. Bongonda, M. Elia (B. Cipenga 64’), S. Essende (F. Mayele 75’), E. Kayembe, A. Masuaku, C. Mbemba, S. Moutoussamy, N. Mukau (C. Pickel 75’), A. Tuanzebe, A. Wan-Bissaka

Sudan: M. Elneel, A. Abaker, S. Alhassan (M. Alrashed 46’), M. Hakeem, H. Musa, A. Nooh (M. Abdelrahman 73’), A. Omer (Y. Awad 73’), A. Tabanja, A. Taifour, S. Thierry (M. Eisa 73’), A. Zaid

Advertisement