DR Congo kept their 2026 World Cup hopes alive after they scored a late winner to beat Cameroon 1-0 in the playoff semifinals at the Al Barid Stadium in Rabat on Thursday.
Leopards skipper Chancel Mbemba popped up in the first minute of stoppage time to settle the contest and dash the Indomitable Lions' dream of reaching the global showpiece for a second consecutive edition.
Late drama at Stade Al Barid as Congo edge Cameroon for the win 🇨🇩⚽️#WCQ | #SSFootball pic.twitter.com/Rf7ElFU7k8
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 13, 2025
Cameroon had only won two of their last five qualifiers to come up short in Group D as they finished four points behind Cape Verde in second place.
DR Congo closed out their Group B campaign with back-to-back wins to see Senegal take top spot by just two points.
Sebastien Desabre's side edged the possession stakes in the first half and they managed slightly more attempts at goal, with the first chance of the game falling to Charles Pickel, who steered his header wide of the left post on 12 minutes.
But Karl Etta Eyong should have put the Indomitable Lions ahead 11 minutes later when he received the ball inside the box from a free-kick inside and only succeeded in firing over from close range.
Theo Bongonda also failed to keep his shot down at the other end on 31 minutes after a burst of speed took him past a defender before he let loose from the edge of the area and saw the ball fly over the crossbar.
It remained goalless at the break and Lionel Mpasi was called into action for the first time on 52 minutes to save a long-range effort from Vincent Aboubakar, who was introduced off the bench at the start of the second half.
Etta Eyong then attempted to catch out Mpasi with a speculative shot from distance in the 56th minute, but the ball sailed way over the bar.
Cedric Bakambu almost broke the deadlock five minutes later as he latched onto a fine pass into the box and forced Andre Onana to parry his driven shot behind for a corner.
Bryan Mbeumo was guilty of not testing the goalkeeper after he was played into the box on 65 minutes, pushing his shot wide of the left post from a dangerous position, while Christian Bassogog proved equally wasteful when he blazed over on 77 minutes.
Aboubakar nearly won it for Cameroon three minutes from time, but Mpasi was equal to the task as the striker found space inside the area and tried to pick out the bottom corner of the net.
The save proved extra crucial when the Leopards won a corner in stoppage time and Mbemba got on the end of Brian Cipenga's delivery to tuck the ball home and clinch a dramatic win.
Cameroon are 𝐨𝐮𝐭 of World Cup qualifying after losing to DR Congo thanks to a Chancel Mbemba 91st-minute winner.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 13, 2025
DR Congo will face Nigeria on Sunday in the CAF playoff final and are a step closer to their first World Cup since 1974 🇨🇩 pic.twitter.com/tdtXZOgI5x
Cameroon 0
DR Congo (0) 1 (Mbemba 90+1')
Cameroon: A. Onana, J. Castelletto, M. Ngadeu-Ngadjui, N. Tolo, J. Tchatchoua, A. Avom (G. Nkoudou 73'), C. Baleba (M. Hongla 46'), A. Nagida (C. Bassogog 73'), B. Mbeumo, K. Etta Eyong (M. Ngamaleu 90+4'), F. Magri (V. Aboubakar 46').
DR Congo: L. Mpasi, A. Wan-Bissaka, A. Tuanzebe, S. Moutoussamy, C. Mbemba, J. Kayembe, N. Sadiki (NMukau 89') , C. Pickel (E. Kayembe 59'), N. Mbuku (B. Cipenga 75'), T. Bongonda, C. Bakambu (F. Mayele 75').
