The Democratic Republic of Congo secured their place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 52 years with a dramatic 1–0 extra-time victory over Jamaica in the play-offs—marking the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
With both nations chasing only their second World Cup appearance, the stakes were high in Zapopan, Mexico. The match remained tense and goalless through regular time before former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe broke the deadlock in the 100th minute. He forced the ball over the line from a corner, though the goal was briefly reviewed for a potential handball before being confirmed.
Tuanzebe later admitted the pressure of the occasion had an impact. He expressed pride in scoring the decisive goal for his country, calling it a dream moment and saying it was now time to celebrate.
DR Congo largely controlled the match, creating more opportunities despite a lack of clear-cut chances. They dominated early on, with Cédric Bakambu coming close to opening the scoring, only to be denied by Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake. The African side continued to apply pressure, though many of their attempts failed to trouble the target.
Jamaica’s best chance of the first half came around the 30-minute mark when Kasey Palmer’s shot was blocked. Before halftime, DR Congo hit the woodwork, adding to their frustration.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with DR Congo on the front foot. Bakambu again tested Blake with a curling effort, while Jamaica struggled to gain momentum. A potential breakthrough came when substitute Theo Bongonda set up Bakambu for what looked like a simple finish, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
With neither side able to score in normal time, the match went into extra time, where DR Congo finally made their dominance count. Tuanzebe’s close-range finish proved decisive after a corner caused confusion in the Jamaican defense.
The win means Africa will have 10 teams represented at the 2026 World Cup. DR Congo earned their place in the intercontinental play-offs after defeating Nigeria in the CAF qualifiers. Their only previous World Cup appearance came in 1974, when they competed as Zaire.
They will now face Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan in the group stage, beginning their campaign against Portugal.
