A controlled start in Kinshasa
DR Congo made a winning start to their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign with a convincing victory. The Leopards beat Equatorial Guinea 2-0 on Thursday at the Martyrs Stadium, in front of a crowd capped at 20,000.
Chancel Mbemba broke the deadlock in the 4th minute, heading in from a Mbuku free kick. Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa wrapped it up in the 72nd minute. It was his 12th goal for the Congo national team.
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Wissa, a reliable weapon for DR Congo
The Newcastle forward is still DR Congo’s main attacking threat. After an eye-catching 2026 World Cup, where he also scored against Portugal, Yoane Wissa has carried that form into international duty. Twelve goals for his country now, and few players in the squad look as consistent at this level.
DR Congo could have had more. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Noah Sadiki both hit the crossbar during the match. Head coach Sebastien Desabre also used the occasion to hand chances to several dual-national players, including Lens youngster Junior Kadile, as he looks to refresh the squad.
After spells at Brentford before joining Newcastle last summer, Yoane Wissa had already made history for his country at the last World Cup, where DR Congo turned heads by reaching the round of 16. A year on, the striker has again shown he remains the key man in an ambitious Congolese side, as a new AFCON qualifying campaign gets under way.
Group E already has a bit of bite
This win gives the Congolese campaign a strong start in what looks like a tricky Group E, with Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe also involved after playing out a lively match the same day. Equatorial Guinea, meanwhile, will need a quick response if they are not to let qualification slip away early.
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