The Democratic Republic of the Congo kept their 2026 World Cup hopes alive with a dramatic 4–3 penalty shootout victory over Nigeria after a 1–1 draw in extra time at the African qualifying playoffs in Rabat, Morocco.
DR Congo will now enter Thursday’s draw for the inter-confederation playoffs, scheduled for March, where six teams will compete for two remaining spots at the expanded 48-team World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Captain Chancel Mbemba fired home the winning penalty after substitute goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu — introduced a minute before the shootout — pulled off two crucial saves to send the Congolese through.
Nigeria struck early, with Frank Onyeka putting the Super Eagles ahead in the third minute after the Congolese defence failed to clear a cross. Meschack Elia restored parity in the 32nd minute, finishing off a quick breakaway initiated after Alex Iwobi lost possession.
Both teams created chances, with Cedric Bakambu’s inventive back-heel from a corner forcing a sharp save from Stanley Nwabali, while DR Congo also saw a strong penalty appeal waved away after Noah Sadiki was brought down by Benjamin Fredrick.
As the contest wore on, DR Congo looked the brighter side, while a tired-looking Nigeria — who needed extra time to beat Gabon in Thursday’s semifinal — struggled to maintain intensity.
Extra time produced late chances at both ends, including a saved effort from Mbemba with the final kick of the match, before the Congolese prevailed from the spot to keep alive their bid for a first World Cup appearance since 1974, when the nation competed as Zaire.
Nine African teams have already secured automatic qualification: Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Ghana, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Tunisia.
Bolivia (South America) and New Caledonia (Oceania) have also booked places in the six-team inter-confederation playoffs. Asia’s final entrant will be decided when the UAE host Iraq in their playoff second leg on Tuesday after a 1–1 first-leg draw.
Additional teams will come from CONCACAF’s best group runners-up, with Europe using a separate playoff system for its remaining spots.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
