DR Congo are one victory away from the FIFA Inter-Continental Play-Off after defeating Cameroon 1–0 in a tense CAF World Cup play-off semi-final at the El Barid Stadium in Morocco. A dramatic late strike from Chancel Mbemba sealed the Leopards’ passage to Sunday’s final in Rabat, where they will meet Nigeria for a place in the global six-team playoff tournament in March. Two World Cup tickets will be available there and DR Congo have put themselves firmly in the chase.

The match began with both sides snapping into action, the early minutes marked by an energetic back-and-forth as they sought a foothold. Cameroon tried to impose themselves, but DR Congo kept their defensive shape compact, absorbing pressure while waiting for transition moments. The opening exchanges produced little in the way of clear chances, but the tempo promised a gripping contest.

Cameroon’s first attempt to stretch the game came through Carlos Baleba, who drove forward in the 15th minute but halted his run after elbowing a Congolese player, earning the referee’s whistle. Just minutes later, Arthur Avom and Mahamadou Nagida tried to inject pace down the flanks, but DR Congo’s back line, marshalled by Axel Tuanzebe and Chancel Mbemba stood firm. This theme continued throughout the opening half-hour, with the Leopards defending intelligently and frustrating Cameroon’s attempts to find passing lanes into the box.

Nathanaël Mbuku attempted to spark something for DR Congo in the 33rd minute with a dangerous cross, but it floated harmlessly into the hands of goalkeeper André Onana. Cameroon responded with set-piece pressure four minutes later, swinging a promising ball into the area, but Eyong and Mbeumo were denied by a decisive defensive clearance. As the minutes ticked down, neither side found the incisiveness needed to break open the game. The referee signaled halftime after one minute of stoppage time, with the duel still goalless, a stalemate reflective of the tight defensive structures on both ends.

Cameroon returned from the break with intent, making two substitutions as Vincent Aboubakar and Martin Hongla replaced Fran Magri and Carlos Baleba. But their early push lacked sharpness. Etta Eyong’s attempted cross in the 49th minute drifted over the byline, while both teams struggled to connect final passes in the crucial spaces.

The match began to open up around the hour mark. Cédric Bakambu broke through the right side in the 60th minute, forcing André Onana into a brilliant intervention to keep the score level. Minutes earlier, DR Congo had introduced Edo Kayembe for Charles Pickel, hoping to add composure and ball progression through midfield.

Cameroon responded with their own tactical adjustments in the 73rd minute as Georges-Kévin N’Koudou and Christian Bassogog entered the fray. The substitutions brought renewed energy. Bassogog nearly delivered the breakthrough in the 86th minute when he surged down the right flank, sending in a teasing ball that Castelletto failed to finish. It was the clearest chance of the match for the Indomitable Lions, who were starting to mount more consistent pressure.

The Leopards, however, were growing into the final stages. Substitutes Brian Cipenga and Fiston Mayele were sent on in the 77th minute to inject fresh legs, and although the attacks remained largely contained, DR Congo continued testing Cameroon’s discipline. The tension thickened as the match slipped toward stoppage time, both sides knowing a single moment could settle everything.

That moment arrived in the 91st minute.

DR Congo won a corner on the right side, and the delivery whipped through the six-yard box at tremendous pace. As the ball curled into the central channel, Chancel Mbemba broke free and charged toward it, meeting the cross with a thunderous finish that rippled the net and sent the Congolese bench into rapture. It was a captain’s strike, decisive, courageous, and perfectly timed.

Cameroon threw everything forward in the remaining minutes, bringing on Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu in the 93rd minute in a last push for an equalizer. But the Leopards held their ground, clearing danger repeatedly as the clock wound down. After 96 tense minutes, the referee blew the final whistle. DR Congo had survived, and more importantly, prevailed.

It was a match defined by defensive discipline, tactical patience, and a late explosion of quality and now the Leopards stand one match away from a possible World Cup return. On Sunday in Rabat, they will meet Nigeria in a final that promises power, pedigree, and drama.

The winner advances to the Intercontinental Play-offs, where two coveted tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup await.