Kinshasa, August 23rd, 2026 (CPA).- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) men’s volleyball Leopards have triumphed in the derby against the Republic of the Congo (3–2) on Saturday in Brazzaville, in a friendly match in preparation for the African Nations Championship, scheduled for September 13th-6th in Tunisia, according to the Congo Volleyball Federation (Fevoco). In this derby of the Congo River, which was a real nail-biter, DRC Leopards have ultimately made the difference.
Starting the match in fine style, the Congolese side from Kinshasa have won the first set by the skin of their teeth (25–23), before seeing the Red Devils strike back immediately with the same score (23–25). Stung by this setback, DRC Leopards have dominated the third set (25–19), building a comfortable six-point lead. But they hadn’t reckoned with the resilience of the Brazzaville side: with their backs against the wall, the Red Devils have fought back to level the score, winning the fourth set convincingly (25–18). Forced into a tie-break (2–2), the two teams have fought a gruelling battle, which the Leopards eventually won in a nail-biting finish (17–15). This hard-fought victory was thus DRC’s very first friendly win since the start of their training camp in Brazzaville.
It was a crucial warm-up ahead of the African Nations Championship, due to take place in a few weeks’ time in Tunisia. This high-calibre fixture has enabled the national coach, Eric Ngapeth, to make final adjustments and identify the technical weaknesses that need to be addressed in the hope of a respectable campaign in Tunisia. As a reminder, initially scheduled for September 7th-21st, 2026, in Kinshasa, in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the African Men’s Volleyball Nations Championship has been relocated to Tunis, Tunisia, by the African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB).
This decision follows serious concerns expressed by several governments and member federations regarding the health situation linked to the Ebola outbreak in DRC. The tournament will now take place from September 13th to 26th, 2026, and will serve as a crucial qualifying event for the 2027 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.