These are busy times for football in the The women’s team are playing in the for the first time since 2012 while the men are currently top of their qualification group for the 2026 , putting them on course for a first appearance on the global stage since 1974.
Off the pitch, there is also encouraging news. If a between the country and neighboring Rwanda holds, the sport could reach new levels.
The eastern region of the 11th biggest country in the world has been dogged by violence for the past 30 years, which has, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, resulted in the deaths of approximately six million people. Fighting escalated earlier this year as that, according to the Congo and the , is backed by , made inroads against the Congolese army.
Details of the peace plan, brokered by the United States, may be currently vague with concerns over whether it can hold and the low levels of trust between the two parties, but the prospect of stability is a welcome one.
“Congo is one of the most mineral-rich countries in the world,” Murithi Mutiga, Africa Program Director at the International Crisis Group, told DW.
“One hopes that eventually this [peace deal] will be implemented and with luck and also concerted diplomatic efforts, that Congo may reach its potential.”
Helping the Beautiful Game
If the fighting stops, football can continue all over the country.
“In terms of the national game, a peace deal needs to be sorted because a number of the clubs that are based in the east of the country have not been able to play as a result of the recent conflict and invasion,” Guy Burton, an international research analyst on conflict and peace, told DW.
“Ultimately for the game to flourish, you need to have stability, you need to have peace. When war is happening, the priority is just to survive.”
Peace is just a start.
“Provided it is followed by concrete and sustainable implementation, the state and investors can better finance the rehabilitation of stadiums, community fields, and training centers,” Francisco Mulonga, president of football club Sporting Club de Kinshasa, told DW. “Regions formerly at war could finally benefit from real sports facilities.”
Greater opportunities in cities such as Goma, which lies near the border with , would give young men a choice and a brighter future that involves kicking a ball and not picking up a gun or getting involved in crime.
“Football can really help young men turn away from violence and adopt a healthier lifestyle through sport, especially in contexts marked by poverty, idleness, or social tensions,” Mulonga added.
“Playing football fosters the creation of strong social bonds between young people from different backgrounds. Football is a model of hope and ambition.”
The impact of the 2026 World Cup
Reaching the 2026 World Cup could be a game-changer. Even amid instability at home, DR Congo is top of its qualification group, with and close behind and just four games remaining. DR Congo faces those two teams on home soil later this year in what should be decisive clashes.
“If the men’s team qualifies, people will look more at Congo, to come and invest and help the kids,” Ricardo Eluka, founder of Espoir Football Academy in Kinshasa, which he set up to help young people fulfil their dreams, told DW.
There is enough natural ability in the country to shine and join continental teams that often appear at the big tournaments.
“Congo has the same level of talent as the Nigerian team, and Senegal. We have these kinds of players but we don’t have the money to come and invest,” said Eluka. “If we had more money coming, football in Congo would be huge.”
More investment at grassroots, in facilities and in the clubs would help the country produce more players such as Chancel Mbemba who has appeared almost 100 times for the national team and played at prestigious European clubs such as , Porto and Marseille, as well as forward Cedric Bakambu.
“Qualification for the World Cup would have a very positive and structuring impact on Congolese football on several levels: sporting, economic, social, and even political,” said Mulonga.
“The DRC would benefit from global visibility, which could improve its diplomatic, cultural, and economic image. It could also facilitate the export of Congolese players to top-tier foreign clubs.”
Leopardesses left hungry
The women have longer to go, however, and were eliminated from the WAFCON with a game left to play. Here the natural resources are just as great but the infrastructure and support, according to national team captain Fideline N’goy, is lacking.
“There is great talent and a desire among young girls to play the sport, but there is no decent coaching to develop their talents: no training centers, no fields, and no projects from the federation,” N’goy told DW.
The goalkeeper contrasts the situation with and where, she says, FIFA prize money goes back into the women’s game and where the women are paid almost as much as the men.
“In our country, the winners of the women’s championship earn US $10,000 (€8500), while the men’s earn US$150,000.”
It may be left for the women to do it themselves, to achieve international success in order to help those back at home.
“If the women play well, we will have more female students,” Eluka said. “The problem in Congo, there is no investment made, no facilities for the ladies to practice and get better.”
It remains to be seen how the men getting to the World Cup would help the women’s game but it would certainly be celebrated in a country that has not had much to celebrate in recent years.
“Football is almost a national religion in Congo,” said Mitiga. “If it qualifies for the World Cup as it seems well-poised to do, it will really energize and electrify the nation and it will bring people together.”
Edited by: Matt Pearson
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