Kinshasa, December. 23rd, 2025 (CPA). – DRC has signed its first competitive outing against Benin, beating them 1-0 on Tuesday at the El Barid Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, the host country, from December 21st, 2025 to January 18th, 2026, on the first day of Group D of the 2025 African Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament. The Leopards of DRC have opened the scoring just after the first quarter of an hour of play, with Theo Bongonda (16th) scoring off a pass from Arthur Maswaku. Two minutes after the break, DRC’s centre forward, Cedric Bakambu (47th), has doubled the lead for his team, but the referee has disallowed the goal due to DRC striker’s controversial position. The score has remained unchanged until half-time.
DRC: ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’
After the break, despite the offensive pressure exerted by the Benin Cheetahs, who were chasing the result in the hope of getting back into the game, the Leopards have held firm until the end of regular time and the 10 minutes of added time. All in all, after this narrow but important victory, DRC’s Fauves have pocketed their first points in Group D, inflicting the Benin Cheetahs’ first defeat of the tournament, pending the match between Senegal’s Lions of Teranga and Botswana’s Zebras. So, for DRC, one could say, ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,’ as Lafontaine said in one of his fables.
Bongonda: ‘Man of the Match’
At the end of the match between the Leopards of DRC and the Cheetahs of Benin, Theo Bongonda, scorer of the only goal of the game, has been awarded the Man of the Match prize, the first ever for the player and for DRC in this competition, which we hope bodes well for the country in the race for the title.
‘The essentials have been done for DRC, now we need to focus on the next match’ (Coach)
At a press conference after this short performance, DRC coach has looked ahead to the Congolese team’s next match, scheduled for Saturday in Tangier. ‘Despite the manner of the victory, the essentials have been achieved in this match against the Cheetahs of Benin,’ has declared Sebastien Desabre at a press conference after the Congolese victory. The head coach of the Leopards has added: ‘Let’s now focus on the next match against Senegal, scheduled for December 27th.’
DRC-Senegal on Saturday December 27th
After this first match, according to the CAF schedule consulted on Tuesday, the Leopards of DRC will face the Lions of Teranga of Senegal in the second match of Group D of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations at 3 p.m. at the Grand Stade de Tanger. On the same day, at the Stade Annexe Olympique Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, the Cheetahs of Benin will face off against the Zebras of Botswana, also on the second day of Group D. CPA/