2026 World Cup: DR Congo’s record against Asian teams

27.06.26 FT World Cup

DR Congo

3

:

Uzbekistan

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Third in Group K, DR Congo must defeat Uzbekistan to secure a historic qualification for the Round of 32 at the World Cup. While this is the first-ever meeting between these two sides, the Leopards have faced other Asian opponents in the past.

Sebastien Desabre’s men held Portugal to a 1-1 draw before narrowly losing 1-0 to Colombia. Now, they’re set for a high-stakes clash on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 23:30 GMT against the Uzbeks, with only a win guaranteeing them a spot in the tournament’s next round.

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Heading into the showdown with Uzbekistan, DR Congo’s record against Asian teams is disappointing: just one draw and five defeats. A victory tonight would mark their first ever against an AFC opponent.

The first encounter dates back to July 14, 1975, when the team was known as Zaire. That friendly ended in a 1-3 loss to Iran. Since then, there have been a series of friendlies, with defeats to Saudi Arabia (0-2, 2010), Iraq (0-1 and 1-2, 2015), and Bahrain (0-1, 2022).

The only match that didn’t end in defeat was a 2-2 draw against Qatar in a friendly played on October 14, 2009.

Tonight, the stakes are twofold for DR Congo: their first ever win over an Asian side and a maiden qualification for the World Cup knockout stages.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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