Kinshasa, November 12th, 2026 (CPA).-The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) defeated Sierra Leone 3-1 on Thursday at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, in a third-round match of the Group E qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), recording their third victory in as many matches. As they had done against Equatorial Guinea in the opening match of the group, the Leopards quickly opened the scoring, this time through Yoane Wissa in the 4th minute, following a cross from Nathanaël Mbuku.Dominating the opening 15 minutes, Sébastien Desabre’s Leopards launched several attacking moves but failed to convert them into goals. Kevin Pedro (12th minute), Edo Kayembe (16th minute) and Noah Sadiki (30th minute) notably missed good opportunities to extend the lead during the first half-hour of play. On the opposite side, the Sierra Leoneans also attempted to respond through set pieces but failed to trouble the Congolese defence.
Shortly before the break, Samuel Moutoussamy (35th minute) enabled the Leopards to extend their lead. Indeed, the naturally left-footed DRC midfielder beat his marker before firing past the Sierra Leonean goalkeeper with his right foot, following a well-timed pass from YoaneWissa, giving the Congolese national team a 2-0 advantage.
The Leopards secure the victory
After the break, the Congolese continued to dominate proceedings. Following a fine shot on target by Nathanaël Mbuku (48th minute), Edo Kayembe (58th minute) increased the score to 3-0, converting a pass from Arthur Masuaku after a well-executed attacking combination. The match subsequently saw several substitutions in the Congolese ranks, notably the departures of Edo Kayembeand Samuel Moutoussamy, who was forced off through injury. While the Leopards appeared to have the match under control and maintained their advantage on the scoreboard, Sierra Leone, with nothing to lose, pulled one back in the 82nd minute. The Sierra Leonean goalscorer took advantage of a poorly cleared corner by goalkeeper Mathieu Epolo to send the ball into the back of the net.
The goal gave the visitors renewed confidence, prompting them to become more attacking in the closing minutes.Despite the pressure, the DRC maintained its lead until the final whistle, eventually securing a 3-1 victory. The Leopards thus collected three points, recording three wins in three matches and taking their tally to nine points out of a possible nine in the qualifying campaign. A fourth consecutive victory in five days, against the same Sierra Leone team in Morocco, would secure the DRC’s historic direct qualification for AFCON 2027.
Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe play out a 0-0 draw
While the DRC imposed its dominance on Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe played out a goalless draw (0-0) on Thursday in the other match of the third round of Group E. For the fourth round, the DRC Leopards will travel to Casablanca, Morocco, on Tuesday, November 17th, while Zimbabwe will host Equatorial Guinea the previous day, Monday, November 16th.
DRC alone at the top of Group E
At the end of the third and final matchdayof Group E, the DRC moved into sole possession of first place, leading their two immediate challengers, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, by five points. Sierra Leone remained at the bottom of the group standings, with no points after three matches.