ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one match away from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the draw for the final Inter-Confederation Playoff Tournament was conducted at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Thursday, November 20, 2025. The Central African nation, a neighbour to the East African Community, will play the winner of a semi-final match between Jamaica and New Caledonia for one of the last two spots at the global tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The playoff tournament, a new feature of the expanded 48-team World Cup, will take place in Mexico during the March 2026 international window. It involves six nations from five continental confederations competing for the final two qualification berths. The DRC and Iraq, being the two highest-ranked teams in the playoff, were seeded and received byes directly to the finals of their respective pathways.

The Leopards' Arduous Journey

The DRC’s path to this final stage has been a testament to resilience. After finishing second to Senegal in Group B of the main African qualifiers, Sébastien Desabre’s team entered a continental playoff. This four-team tournament, held in Morocco in mid-November 2025, featured the four best runners-up from the CAF group stage: Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and the DRC. The Leopards first secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Cameroon on November 13, with a late goal from captain Chancel Mbemba. They then faced Nigeria in a tense final on November 16, which ended 1-1 after extra time. Goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu, who was substituted on specifically for the shootout, became the national hero by saving two penalties to clinch a 4-3 victory for his country.

Potential Opponents

The DRC, ranked 56th in the world by FIFA as of November 2025, will now await the outcome of the semi-final between Jamaica and New Caledonia. Jamaica, known as the 'Reggae Boyz', are ranked 70th and possess a squad with several players based in top English leagues, including Michail Antonio of West Ham and Ethan Pinnock of Brentford. They narrowly missed direct qualification from the CONCACAF region after a 0-0 draw with Curaçao on the final day of their group stage, a result reported on November 18, 2025.

New Caledonia, representing the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), is the significant underdog, with a FIFA ranking of 149th. Despite their lower ranking, 'Les Cagous' have a history of being a competitive side within their region, having finished as runners-up in the OFC Nations Cup in 2008 and 2012. Their admission to FIFA in 2004 makes their journey to this stage particularly notable.

Implications for East Africa

For Kenya and the wider East Africa region, the DRC's progress serves as a significant marker. The expanded World Cup format, which guarantees nine direct slots for African teams and one playoff spot, presents new opportunities. The DRC's success underscores the potential for a wider range of African nations to compete on the world stage. Kenya's own national team, the Harambee Stars, was unable to participate in the current qualification campaign due to a FIFA suspension that has since been lifted. The journey of a neighbouring country like the DRC to the brink of qualification provides a clear and proximate example of the standards required and the prize at stake in future campaigns.

The inter-confederation playoffs are scheduled for the FIFA window of March 23–31, 2026. The winner of the final between the DRC and their yet-to-be-determined opponent will secure their ticket to the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup, a feat the DRC last achieved in 1974 when the nation was known as Zaire.