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Two matches, two wins, six points: DR Congo head into the November international break with a lead to defend and a question of efficiency to resolve. The Leopards host Sierra Leone on Thursday 12 November in Kinshasa, before travelling to El Jadida on Tuesday 17. If Sébastien Desabre secures both victories, his side will have 12 points after four matchdays, exactly the total he has set as their target for qualification. The story of this double-header lies in the gap between the Leopards’ build-up play and their end product.
Six points, a goal difference of +3 and Zimbabwe three points behind
AFCON 2027 will be played in the summer of 2027 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The qualifiers feature 48 teams split into 12 groups of four, with the top two in each group going through. Group E contains no host nation: two qualifying places are up for grabs. DR Congo currently occupy one of them, ahead of three teams who all have ground to make up.
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | Goals for | Goals against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DR Congo | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | Zimbabwe | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | Equatorial Guinea | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Sierra Leone | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Sierra Leone have yet to pick up a point after two matchdays. Their coach, Didier Gomes Da Rosa, reportedly said at a press conference that he was aiming for a draw in Kinshasa and a point to take home. That statement has appeared in only one report, so it should be treated with caution. Either way, it suggests the Leopards will find Sierra Leone ready and waiting for them.
Kinshasa, Harare: a goal in the 4th minute and another in the 90th
On 24 September at the Stade des Martyrs, DR Congo beat Equatorial Guinea 2-0. Chancel Mbemba opened the scoring as early as the 4th minute from a Nathanaël Mbuku pass. Yoane Wissa doubled the lead in the 72nd minute. The Leopards had 16 shots, 5 of them on target, and enjoyed 58% possession. Equatorial Guinea managed 5 shots, 2 of them on target.
Four days later, the trip to Harare proved much tighter. Wissa scored in the 30th minute, before Samuel Moutoussamy added another in the 45th, from a Wissa pass. Zimbabwe pulled one back through Marvelous Munetsi in the 90th minute: 2-1 at the final whistle. The match statistics gave the Congolese no edge over their hosts: they had 13 shots, 4 of them on target, while Zimbabwe had 13 shots, 6 on target and 6 corners; DR Congo had just one corner.
Desabre made three changes between the two matches while retaining eight starters: Epolo in goal, plus Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Mbuku, Moutoussamy, Wissa and Sadiki. In Harare, Joris Kayembe, Ngal’ayel Mukau and Junior Kadile all started. The coach therefore has a squad in which several options are capable of holding down a place.
Twenty-nine shots, nine on target: shooting accuracy needs work
After two matchdays, DR Congo have scored 4 goals and conceded 1. They have attempted 29 shots, 9 of them on target. The first figure points to a team that creates and scores regularly. The second – one shot in three on target – leaves room for improvement. Defensively, conceding only one goal in two matches is a good record, even if that goal came in the final minute in Harare, when the match was there for the taking.
The autumn fixtures offer no clear pattern. On 2 October, DR Congo lost 0-2 to Uganda in a friendly. On 5 October, they drew 1-1 with the same opponents. Across their last four matches, then, they have two wins, one draw and one defeat. Earlier in the year, the World Cup had produced a 1-1 draw with Portugal, a 0-1 defeat by Colombia, a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan and a 1-2 defeat by England.
Wissa one goal away from third place in the Leopards’ scoring charts
If one player carries this team, it is Yoane Wissa. He has two goals in these qualifiers, one in Kinshasa and one in Harare, as well as the assist for Moutoussamy. With 14 international goals, he shares third place in the all-time scoring chart with Trésor Mputu and Shabani Nonda. One more would put him alone in that position, behind Dieumerci Mbokani (22 goals) and Cédric Bakambu (21). In 2026, Wissa has scored six goals for the Leopards, three of them at the World Cup. At Newcastle, he has made 10 Premier League appearances this season, 8 of them starts, contributing one goal and one assist.
Around him, the core is familiar: Mbemba, who has started each of Al Diriyah’s 12 matches this season, Arthur Masuaku, Axel Tuanzebe, Samuel Moutoussamy, who has scored 2 goals in 9 matches for Atromitos, and Noah Sadiki, who has started all 10 of his matches for Sunderland. In goal, Matthieu Epolo, aged 20, has played 843 minutes for Standard Liège in the Belgian league.
Bakambu returns, Wan-Bissaka and Bongonda miss out as two new faces come in
Sébastien Desabre unveiled his 26-player squad on Friday 6 November at a press conference at FECOFA headquarters in Kinshasa. It comprises three goalkeepers (Bertaud, Epolo, Fayulu), nine defenders, six midfielders and eight forwards. San Diego’s Cédric Bakambu and goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu return. The attack also features Wissa, Fiston Mayele, Simon Banza, Meschack Elia, Nathanaël Mbuku, Brian Cipenga and Junior Kadile. Bakambu has 21 goals for the Leopards, one fewer than Mbokani’s record.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is injured and has not been included in the squad. Théo Bongonda, Charles Pickel and Samuel Essende are also absent. Defender Willy Kambwala, who made his Leopards debut on 2 October against Uganda, has pulled out with an unspecified injury. He is replaced by Magloire Ntambwe Kalonji, the TP Mazembe defender and captain, who has been called up for the first time. He stands 1.88 m tall, can play at centre-back or in front of the defence, and plays in the Congolese league.
Lorient midfielder Noah Mbamba has also earned his first call-up. He is 21, was born in Brussels, came through the youth ranks in Belgium and had represented Belgium until now. He began the process of switching his international allegiance in September. At Lorient, he is getting his first taste of Ligue 1, with two appearances to his name.
Thursday in Kinshasa, Tuesday in El Jadida: two wins and SNA’s verdict
| Matchday | Fixture | Date | Kick-off (GMT) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | DR Congo – Sierra Leone | Thursday 12 November 2026 | 16:00 | Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa |
| 4 | Sierra Leone – DR Congo | Tuesday 17 November 2026 | 16:00 | El Jadida |
Desabre held his pre-match press conference on Wednesday 11 November in Kinshasa. He set a target of 12 points from the six qualifying matches, emphasised the importance of home results and the squad’s collective progress, and warned against complacency. According to one report, he framed that objective as 12 points from four matches, which amounts to the same thing: two more wins. CAF has authorised a crowd of 18 000 at the Stade des Martyrs for Thursday’s match.
The group’s other two fixtures take place in March 2027: Equatorial Guinea – DR Congo on the 24th at 17:00 GMT, then DR Congo – Zimbabwe on the 28th at 16:00 GMT.
SNA’s verdict: the Leopards will take all three points on Thursday in Kinshasa, in front of their own fans and with September’s momentum behind them. The return match in El Jadida looks more open, because Sierra Leone will have nothing left to lose. SNA expects DR Congo to come away with at least one point, and believes victory is possible if they get more of their shots on target. A goal for Wissa, meanwhile, would leave him alone in third place on the Leopards’ all-time scoring list.
The Sport News Africa editorial team
