The Democratic Republic of the Congo successfully followed up their historic World Cup exploits with a commanding 2-0 home victory over Equatorial Guinea on the opening day of the group qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Playing in Kinshasa on Thursday, the Congolese side asserted their dominance early when captain Chancel Mbemba headed home the opening goal in just the fourth minute. Yoane Wissa later added a second goal 18 minutes from time to seal the result, although the final scoreline might easily have been more emphatic. Over the course of the match, the hosts twice struck the woodwork and also had two separate efforts ruled out for offside, showcasing their attacking intent and superiority on the pitch.
Thursday’s encounter marked the first competitive outing for the Congolese national team since they advanced through the first phase of the World Cup for the very first time. That milestone was followed by a memorable summer that saw them run England remarkably close in a hard-fought last-32 tie in Atlanta back in July.
However, there was an unusual atmosphere at the Stade des Martyrs as local supporters were denied a full-scale celebration of their team’s recent achievements. The size of the stadium crowd was strictly restricted to 20,000 spectators due to sanctions handed down for fan violence that erupted following a defeat by Senegal in World Cup qualification exactly one year prior. Despite the reduced capacity, the vocal fans in attendance witnessed a professional performance from their national heroes as they took early control of their qualifying group.
Elsewhere in the opening day’s early fixtures, Mauritania and Namibia also secured crucial victories on the road to next year’s continental showcase. Meanwhile, Libya required a dramatic last-gasp penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw at home against Botswana in an empty stadium in Tripoli, where the venue was similarly banned from hosting spectators because of previous supporter violence.
Botswana striker Tumisang Orebonye delivered a stellar individual performance in the first half, scoring a quickfire double that put his visiting side firmly on course for a rare and memorable away victory. Libya labored to find a response until Maruwan Alhibeeshi thrashed home a powerful shot from the edge of the area in the 87th minute to pull one back and ignite hopes of a comeback. Just as time was running out, Botswana substitute Mothusi Cooper gave away a stoppage-time penalty with a clumsy challenge inside the area, allowing Ezoo El Mariamy to step up and rescue a dramatic draw for the hosts.
In other matches played across the continent, Mauritania secured a comfortable 3-1 victory over the Central African Republic in a game hosted in Casablanca, Morocco. That fixture was highlighted by a superb chipped effort over the opposing goalkeeper from Mauritania’s Dawda Camara. Meanwhile, Bethuel Muzeu scored the game’s only goal to help Namibia edge out Congo by a narrow 1-0 margin.
Attention also turned to a high-profile West African derby in Bouake, where the Ivory Coast cruised to a convincing 2-0 victory over Ghana in a tightly contested Group C encounter.
The hosts opened the scoring courtesy of a stunning strike from Malick Yalcouye, who unleashed a powerful effort from outside the box in the first half. While the shot was struck with venom, Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi was left reflecting on the sequence, as he arguably should have done better to protect his near post. Any hopes of a Ghanaian recovery were effectively extinguished in the second half when Franck Kessie stepped up to take a penalty. Kessie sent the opposing goalkeeper completely the wrong way with a calm, side-footed finish that left the Black Stars stopper with zero chance.
The defeat leaves Ghana to reflect on a deeply frustrating evening, particularly given that they failed to register a single shot on target until the 75th minute of the match. Compounding their offensive struggles, the visitors also conceded a staggering 61 percent of possession to their hosts, who controlled the tempo of the game from the opening whistle. The result is an especially bitter pill for Ghana, who previously suffered the heartbreak of failing to qualify for the 2025 edition of the tournament, raising further questions about the direction of the national side.
In the pick of the other ties taking place across the continent, Cameroon turned in a strong display to beat Comoros 3-1, showcasing their traditional physical dominance and attacking prowess. Elsewhere, Tunisia were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by a resilient Uganda side, leaving both teams to ponder missed opportunities as the long qualification campaign for Africa’s premier international football competition gets fully underway.