With the minutes preciously ticking away, tension continues to mount among football aficionados as Nigeria take on Democratic Republic of Congo⁴ in Rabat tonight in the fierce battle for Africa’s solitary ticket to the inter-confederation play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Already, pundits and enthusiasts alike have described the encounter as one of contrasting styles and strengths with Nigeria’s deadly attack led by Victor Osimhen going against a DR Congo defence line marshalled by captain Chancel Mbemba and former Manchester United player Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Though taking place on neutral ground with no home advantage, and sharpening the tactical margins to display, the match is Nigeria’s step toward a seventh World Cup appearance while for DR Congo, it presents a chance to edge closer to their first finals since 1974 when they featured in the Mundial as Zaire.
To arrive at this stage, the Super Eagles impressively surged past The Panthers of Gabon 4–1 in extra-time while the Leopards fought hard to shake off the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 1-0 in stoppage-time
Enroute to this final showdown, the
Coach Eric Chelle’s side were pushed to the brink by Gabon before substitutes swung the tie in favour of Nigeria
First, it was Chidera Ejuke’s strike that restored Nigeria’s lead in extra time before Osimhen finished the job with a ruthless brace.
After a turvy-turvy performance in the earlier qualifying rounds, the Super Eagles have picked themselves up gracefully to win five of their last six matches in all competitions, scoring 10 goals in the process.
For the Coach Sébastien Desabre tutored Leopards, their pathway to this final saw them having to deal with Cameroon’s threat before fleet-footed Mbemba arrived at the far post to settle a tense semi-final tie² 1–0.
Coming into this match, the Congolese recorded three straight victories by a single goal, a sequence built on defensive solidity, order and quick counters.
Head-to-head
Both countries have met six times and DR Congo are top with three wins to Nigeria’s two, with one draw. The last meeting ended one-all during a friendly outing in 2018.
This is their first competitive encounter in more than half a century.
Previous Meetings
05 Nov 1966: Nigeria 3–2 DR Congo
26 Nov 1966: DR Congo 1–0 Nigeria
27 Dec 1966: DR Congo 1–0 Nigeria
03 Mar 2010: Nigeria 5–2 DR Congo
08 Oct 2015: Nigeria 0–2 DR Congo
28 May 2018: Nigeria 1–1 DR Congo
The match will kick-off in Rabat, the Moroccan capital, at about 8pm Nigerian time with the winners moving within one match of keeping all their chances of participating at the World Cup alive.
The inter-confederation play-off fir a place at the 2026 finals will hold in March 2026.
