CAF Sends Message to DR Congo Ahead of World Cup Playoff vs Jamaica As Nigeria Awaits CAS Verdict
- The Confederation of African Football has sent a message to DR Congo ahead of the 2026 World Cup intercontinental playoff
- The Leopards of DR Congo will face the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica in the final in Guadalajara to secure a slot at the tournament in June
- Nigeria continues their case at the Court of Arbitration for Sports to disqualify DR Congo for fielding ineligible players
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sent a message to the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of their intercontinental playoff match.
DR Congo will face the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica in the final of the intercontinental playoff at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico to secure a World Cup slot.
Source: Getty Images
Nine African countries, including Ghana, Egypt and Morocco, amongst others, have qualified, and DR Congo could be the 10th representative if they beat Jamaica.
The Reggae Boyz defeated New Caledonia to book their spot in the final as they aim for their second-ever World Cup appearance after their debut campaign in 1998 in France.
CAF sends message to DR Congo
CAF shared a message on its X page to DR Congo as the African continent rallied behind the Leopards to become the continent’s 10th representative.
“Matchday for DR Congo! Go get that #FIFAWorldCup spot, Leopards. 🇨🇩,” the tweet reads.
CAF published a statement on its official website expressing full support for the Leopards to secure their World Cup spot for the first time in over 50 years.
“DR Congo stand on the brink of history as they prepare for a decisive match that could secure their first FIFA World Cup appearance in more than five decades,” the part of the statement reads.
The last time DR Congo played in the World Cup in Germany in 1974, it was called Zaire; all of the current team, including head coach Sebastien Desabre, were born.
They have the huge burden of delivering the country’s first World Cup appearance in generations and face a high-stakes match against another motivated opponent.
However, a cloud hangs over DR Congo’s appearance at the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada in the form of a protestant Nigeria.
DR Congo defeated Nigeria in the final of the African playoff in November 2025, but the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) submitted a petition to FIFA.
Source: Twitter
The petition challenged the eligibility of some Congolese players, including the duo of former Manchester United stars Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe.
NFF alleged that DR Congo misled FIFA into approving their nationality switch as they did not fulfil the Congolese constitution, which forbids dual citizenship.
FIFA dismissed the petition, but the NFF submitted an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, believing it has a valid case for DR Congo to be kicked out.
Pape Thiaw backs DR Congo
Legit.ng previously reported that Pape Thiaw backed DR Congo to beat Jamaica and pick up the 10th World Cup slot for an African country.
The Senegalese coach led his country to qualify automatically ahead of DR Congo in Group B of the CAF qualifying series, but now backs them for a slot.
Source: Legit.ng
