Nairobi, August 10th, 2025 (CPA).- The Leopards A’ of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), present in the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) football tournament, have defeated Sharks, a Kenyan club, 3-1 on Sunday at the Sacco ground in Nairobi in a friendly warm-up match. The Congolese have led 2-0 at half-time, with two goals from Jean Benoit Tukumbane (13th) and Tony Talasi (22nd) from a penalty. DRC’s first goal scorer plays for FC Tanganyika in Kalemie, Tanganyika, in the south-east of DRC, and the second plays for AF Anges Verts in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.
After the break, Sharks, the Kenyan team, has responded with a goal from Marc Vivian Kesa (79th minute) to reduce the score. However, DRC’s Leopards A’ team has regrouped, improving their play and adding a third and final goal from Lyse Nyembo Ntumba (81st minute), currently playing for Saint Eloi Lupopo, to seal the victory of DRC. The eleven DRC national team, whose next Group A match is scheduled for Thursday against Angola’s Black Antelopes, have requested this test match against the Kenyan club so as not to remain idle and to fill their time with the aim of improving their game.
For the sake of history, the name Sharks of Kenya coincides with that of the Kinshasa team (Sharks 11), which no longer exists and which, in its day, has played in the provincial championship of Kinshasa (Epfkin), super champion of Kinshasa in 2013. Shark, which means ‘Requin’ in French, has been associated with the number 11, referring to the 11 former provinces of DRC before the change to the current 26 provinces. This Shark 11 team, which has produced many talented players such as Chikito Lema Mabidi and many others, has been owned by Zoe Kabila, the younger brother of the former head of state of DRC, Joseph Kabila.
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