Lagos, Nigeria — The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) achieved a monumental feat by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 52 years, thanks to a decisive extra-time goal by Axel Tuanzebe. The former England youth international, who switched his allegiance to DR Congo in 2024, secured the 1-0 victory over Jamaica in the intercontinental play-off final at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico.
The victory, following a 30-minute extra-time period, marks a significant chapter in DR Congo’s football history. Despite Cedric Bakambu’s two offside goals being disallowed in regulation time, DR Congo’s resilience was rewarded. Tuanzebe’s goal, in the 100th minute, was the result of a fortuitous deflection off Jamaica defender Joel Latibeaudiere, which found its way into the net after a VAR review.
Jamaica, hoping to reach their second World Cup, failed to create any meaningful scoring chances. DR Congo now joins Group K in the expanded 48-team tournament, where they will face Portugal in their opening match on 17 June, followed by encounters against Colombia and Uzbekistan.
This triumph was the first time DR Congo and Jamaica faced each other in a FIFA intercontinental playoff. DR Congo, ranked 49th globally, qualified for the play-off final due to their world ranking, having previously overcome Cameroon and Nigeria in African play-offs. The Leopards’qualifying campaign began in November 2023 with 13 qualifiers.
Source: BBC Africa
