Democratic Republic of the Congo have secured a historic return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 52 years after a dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory over Jamaica in their intercontinental play-off final in Mexico. Defender Axel Tuanzebe emerged the hero, scoring the decisive goal in the 100th minute to seal qualification and etch his name into the nation’s football history.
The breakthrough came from a chaotic set-piece, as Tuanzebe bundled home from close range after a deflected corner caused confusion in the Jamaican defence. Celebrations were briefly halted for a VAR review over a possible handball, but the goal stood, sparking wild scenes among the Congolese players. Jamaica, chasing a second World Cup appearance since 1998, struggled to respond and failed to create any clear-cut chances late on.
The encounter had been finely balanced throughout, with DR Congo creating the better openings in normal time. Cedric Bakambu saw two efforts ruled out for offside, while goalkeeper Andre Blake made key saves to keep his side in the contest.
At the other end, Leon Bailey came closest for the Reggae Boyz, but his efforts failed to trouble the Congolese defence.
Coached by Sebastien Desabre, DR Congo’s journey to qualification has been long and demanding. The Leopards began their campaign in November 2023, finishing behind Senegal in their group before overcoming Cameroon and Nigeria in the African play-offs to reach the final stage.
They now advance to the expanded 48-team tournament, where they will compete in Group K alongside Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan.
