DR Congo national team defeated Nigeria 4–3 on penalties on Sunday evening at Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, in the final of the African playoff qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The match ended 1–1 in regular time in Morocco, which is hosting the continental playoff.
Pyramids FC star Fiston Mayele took part in the match and successfully scored one of the penalties.
Nigeria took an early lead in the 3rd minute through Frank Onyeka, before Meschack Elia equalized for DR Congo in the 32nd minute.
Nigeria had reached the African playoff final after defeating Gabon 4–1 in the semifinal following extra time, after the match ended 1–1 in regular time.
DR Congo now move on to the global World Cup playoff, which will take place in March and will feature six teams competing for two qualification spots to the world’s biggest sporting event.
The loser will eliminated from the road to the 2026 World Cup, which for the first time will feature 48 teams and will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The global playoff will include:
The African playoff winner (DR Congo)
The Asian playoff winner between Iraq and the UAE
Bolivia from South America
New Caledonia from Oceania
Two teams from CONCACAF (North and Central America & the Caribbean)
Follow the latest news on Google News
