Kinshasa, June 15th, 2026 (CPA). – The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), FelixTshisekedi Tshilombo, has been announced in Houston, USA, to support the Leopards during their World Cup match on Wednesday, on the opening day against Portugal, the Minister in charge of Sport has announced on his Twitter account, as consulted on Monday by CPA.
“With just a few hours to go before DRC’s senior Leopards football team kicks off their competition, the support is being organised right up to the highest levels of the State. The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is announced in the stands at Houston’s NRG Stadium to watch DRC’s first match against Portugal, scheduled for Wednesday, June 17th, at 12:00 pm local time and 6:00 pm Kinshasa time,” it is read.
According to the source, the Presidency of the Republic has confirmed the Head of State’s arrival in Houston to attend this match on the opening day of Group K in the final phase of the 32nd FIFA World Cup, which reflects the importance of this event for an entire nation, eager to see its ambassadors defend the national colours on the world’s biggest football stage, 52 years on.
For the Congolese, this World Cup has a particular significance, 52 years after the epic adventure of 1974. It is now up to the Congolese national team to prove that their football has reached a new milestone. In Houston, where they have been based since June 11th, Sebastien Desabre’s men are continuing their training sessions, fine-tuning their tactics, fitness and technique.
Well before flying to Houston, the Congolese Leopards have played two warm-up matches, with an overall record of a draw against Denmark (0-0) and a defeat against Chile (1-2). With the announced presence of President FelixTshisekedi, the hopes of an entire nation are pinned on the Leopards, who are ready to write a new and glorious chapter in their sporting history. This match, eagerly awaited, will mark DRC Leopards’ return to the competition, 52 years after their first, unsuccessful outing in 1974 in West Germany.
This inevitably requires the support and unity of spirit of all Congolese, at home and abroad, to boost the Leopards’ morale, with a view to a good result, as the Congolese Leopards’ survival in this competition often depends on that first step. He is accustomed to accompany the Leopards in World Cup qualifiers (and even those for the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN)), especially for home matches at the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa, to address a few words to the players in the changing rooms at the end of matches, whether they win or lose. For example, his words of encouragement to the Leopards, who were beaten by Senegal’s Lions of Teranga (2-3). Believing in the success of the Congolese Leopards, the Head of State had, in his time, been the first to encourage and motivate them for the continental play-offs that pitted them against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions and Nigeria’s Super Eagles, but also for their final outing, in the final round in Guadalajara, Mexico, against Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz (1-0).
A first away fixture for the Leopards
Attending this inaugural match of the Leopards means that the Head of State Felix Tshisekedi has decided not to break a rule with which he is familiar: that of attending the Leopards’ matches. The Head of State’s trip to Houston in the United States, ahead of DRC’s first match against Portugal, will be a first in the annals of national football. Without a doubt, the presence of the President of the Republic will provide a boost for DRCplayers; without it, there would be little.