AFCON 2027 Qualifiers · Group E · Matchday 1 · FULL-TIME
🇨🇩 DR Congo 2 – 0 Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶
⚽ Chancel Mbemba · Yoane Wissa
Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa · Thursday 24 September 2026 · 19:00 EAT (16:00 GMT)
Summary: DR Congo began their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign with a 2–0 home win over Equatorial Guinea in Kinshasa. Captain Chancel Mbemba scored an early opener and Yoane Wissa added the second. It was the Leopards’ first competitive match since their historic 2026 World Cup, where Sébastien Desabre’s side reached the knockout stage before losing 2–1 to England.
How the match unfolded
Backed by a big home crowd at the Stade des Martyrs, DR Congo started on the front foot, and Mbemba put them ahead early on. The Leopards pressed high, won the ball back in Equatorial Guinea’s half and attacked quickly down the wings, with Mbuku and Wissa combining to stretch the visitors’ defence. Wissa’s goal secured the three points and a strong start in Group E.
What it means
Group E has no host nation, so the top two qualify. DR Congo are the group favourites and have started like it. Equatorial Guinea, coached by Vincenzo Alberto Annese, need a quick response at home.
Group E after Matchday 1
| Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇩 DR Congo | 1 | +2 | 3 |
| 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 1 | -2 | 0 |
Sierra Leone v Zimbabwe kicks off at 22:00 EAT tonight.
Next up: Monday 28 September
- 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe v DR Congo 🇨🇩
- 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea v Sierra Leone 🇸🇱
All of Thursday’s results: Matchday 1 live hub · Zimbabwe’s squad: Warriors preview