DR Congo shock Nigeria on penalties to win African World Cup playoffs

DR Congo scope inter-confederation playoffs for 2026 World Cup aft beating favourites Nigeria connected penalties aft a 1-1 draw.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo kept their hopes of a World Cup spot live arsenic they edged Nigeria 4-3 connected penalties aft a 1-1 gully astatine the extremity of other clip to triumph the African qualifying playoffs successful Morocco.

DR Congo present await the gully connected Thursday for the inter-confederation playoffs successful March, wherever six teams volition pursuit 2 places astatine the 48-team finals.

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Captain Chancel Mbemba converted the decisive footwear connected Sunday aft Congolese substitute goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu, brought connected a infinitesimal earlier the shootout, made 2 saves.

Frank Onyeka had Nigeria up successful the 3rd minute, but Meschack Elia equalised for the 2 sides to beryllium level 1-1 aft other time.

The mini-tournament successful Rabat was for the champion runners-up crossed the 9 African qualifying groups, whose fixtures were completed past period with the 9 winners automatically booking a berth astatine the World Cup successful Canada, Mexico and the United States adjacent year.

Nigeria, who person been to six erstwhile World Cups, were disconnected to a cleanable commencement arsenic the Congolese cleared an aboriginal transverse but lone onto the borderline of their punishment area, wherever Onyeka snapped up the shot and powered location an effort, helped into the nett by a flimsy deflection disconnected Axel Tuanzebe.

But the Congolese could person been level wrong 9 minutes had Ngal’ayel Mukau not enactment his close-in effort implicit the crossbar aft Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali had flapped astatine the ball.

They did equalise successful the 32nd infinitesimal aft Alex Iwobi had been stripped of possession wrong the Congolese half, and a speedy antagonistic saw Cedric Bakambu quadrate for Elia to people contempt the efforts of Nigeria skipper Wilfred Ndidi to intercept the ball.

A clever back-heel astatine a country aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional from Bakambu saw Nwabali marque a crisp stop, and determination looked a decent punishment outcry for the Congolese arsenic Noah Sadiki was upended by Benjamin Fredrick successful the Nigeria container successful the 55th minute, but the referee did not amusement immoderate interest, and determination was nary VAR check.

DR Congo looked much ambitious arsenic the contention wore on, but it was characterised by a wary attack from some sides, keen not to marque immoderate mistakes with truthful overmuch astatine stake.

Nigeria needed other time to get past Gabon successful their Thursday semifinal and looked overmuch much fatigued than their opponents, who bushed Cameroon wrong 90 minutes successful their semi aboriginal the aforesaid night.

There were 2 opportunities successful other clip connected either end, with Nigerian substitute Tolu Arokodare heading over, and past with the past effort of the game, Mbemba had his effort saved by Nwabali.

DR Congo went connected to clasp their nervus successful the shootout and inactive person a accidental to vie astatine their archetypal World Cup since 1974, erstwhile the state was inactive known arsenic Zaire.

Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Ghana, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Tunisia person already qualified straight for the 2026 World Cup from Africa.

Bolivia from South America and New Caledonia from Oceania person already reached the six-team continental playoffs.

In Asia, United Arab Emirates big Iraq successful their 2nd limb connected Tuesday to determine different playoff entrant. The archetypal limb was 1-1.

Also included volition beryllium the champion 2 radical runners-up from the North American, Central American and Caribbean federations, erstwhile the last matches of the qualifying rounds extremity connected Tuesday.

Europe has its ain playoff strategy for the remaining non-automatic berths for the 48-team World Cup.