HIBAPRESS – Rabat
The Democratic Republic of Congo national team caused a major surprise in the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, after eliminating the Nigerian team today, Sunday, in the final playoff qualifying for the global playoff.
The match, which took place on the grounds of the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat, saw a strong start from Nigeria, who advanced early through their player Frank Onyeka in the 3rd minute, before the Democratic Republic of Congo came back to tie in the 32nd minute through Meschack Elia.
The Nigerian team received a painful blow after the injury of their top scorer and star Victor Osimhen before the end of the first half, which affected the effectiveness of the "Eagles" attack and their retreat in the face of the attacks of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the remaining minutes of the match.
The original time ended with a positive tie 1-1, and the match continued in the extra time, where the Congolese tried to surprise the Nigerians, but to no avail.
The two teams finally resorted to penalty kicks, which smiled at the Democratic Republic of Congo, which reached the global playoff, on its way to chasing the dream of returning to the World Cup after an absence of 50 years.
