DR Congo are set to face Jamaica in the intercontinental play-off final with a place at the World Cup at stake.
The Democratic Republic of Congo are aiming to right the wrongs of their solitary World Cup campaign in 1974.
Victory against Jamaica will end a 52-year wait and guarantee Africa a 10th representative at this year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
Looking to end 52-year wait
Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe told Sportsworld on BBC World Service, he’d consider it as the biggest game in his football career. Former captain Gabriel Zakuani labelled it “the biggest game in our history”.
DR Congo competed as Zaire at the 1974 World Cup, losing all three matches including a 3-0 defeat to holders Brazil.
That campaign kicked off poorly with a 2-0 defeat against Scotland, continued with a 9-0 humiliation against Yugoslavia and descended into farce during a 3-0 loss to Brazil.
“What on Earth did he do that for?” was the question posed by BBC commentator John Motson when right-back Mwepu Ilunga charged out of the defensive wall and booted the ball downfield as Brazil lined up a free-kick on the edge of the Zaire penalty area.
Hoping to create history
Victory against Jamaica will see them join a group containing Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
Zakuani, an assistant coach with DR Congo’s Under-20s, said the aim is to compete and put on a good show, not just be participants, but also to create history.
- DR Congo, then Zaire, last appeared at the World Cup in 1974
- They lost all three of their matches
- A win against Jamaica would secure a place at this year’s tournament
When they qualified in 1974, Zaire were only the third African side to reach the World Cup after Egypt (1934) and Morocco (1970).
Should DR Congo win, over 110 million people back home, as well as a huge global diaspora, will pray things go better this time than they did in West Germany, when their country competed as Zaire.