“I hadn’t slept in two months; all I could think about was this match.”
Following Congo DR’s historic victory over Jamaica on Tuesday in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Play-Off Tournament, Theo Bongonda will finally be able to sleep soundly.
A constant threat on the right flank, to the point of wearing down the Reggae Boyz defence as the minutes ticked by, the Spartak Moscow forward was one of the key architects of the Leopards’ qualification. The team will return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974. “It was the most important match of our lives,” he said. “Now we have one less thing to worry about; we’re going to sleep well.”
On the other side of the globe, in Kinshasa, however, it will be difficult to get any shut-eye tonight; it’s time for a huge celebration for the 110 million Congolese, happy to have seen their team represent them with dignity.
No doubt that the team cannot wait until joining their countrymen in the festivities. “When we get back to Kinshasa, it’s going to be crazy,” said Cedric Bakambu excitedly. “I can’t wait to see all the Congolese people again. I don’t think we’ve fully realised it yet.”
“There are too many emotions right now; I can’t even speak,” said Ngal’ayel Mukau. “It’s a dream come true,” added captain Chancel Mbemba with emotion.
“We worked hard, we made a lot of sacrifices. We suffered a lot. We fought for qualification for all the Congolese people and for all African nations. We’re proud. Now we can say we’re going to play in the World Cup.”
At the World Cup, this coming June and July in North America, the Leopards will be in Group K, alongside Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan. It’s enough to get Samuel Moutoussamy’s mouth watering. “I’ve always had that dream; I’m not going to lie to you,” said the midfielder. “I’ve had that dream ever since I started playing football. The very day I signed with Lyon’s youth academy (in 2011), my family and I had told each other that the dream was to play in a World Cup. We did it.”
“I’ve never seen Congo at the World Cup,” noted Bakambu, who, like his coach Sebastien Desabre, wasn’t even born when they first competed in the World Cup. “I’m going to enjoy every moment.”
867 days and 13 matches after kicking off their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Mauritania, the Leopards can now look ahead with a sense of a job well done. “We’ve come a long way,” said goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, elated. “We tell ourselves we didn’t fight for nothing when we see how happy everyone is.”
