At the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo got off to a perfect start in its Matchday 4 game of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone, taking a 2-0 lead.
Right from the kickoff, Sébastien Desabre’s men made their attacking intentions clear and needed just three short minutes to send the crowd into a frenzy. On a pinpoint cross from Nathanaël Mbuku, Yoane Wissa timed his run perfectly to open the scoring and put the Fauves on the right track (1-0, 3′).
Caught off guard, the Leone Stars tried to respond around the 11th minute to quickly get back into the game, taking advantage of an open match.
However, the Congolese defense remained perfectly alert and well-positioned to repel the Sierra Leonean attacks, allowing the Leopards to calmly maintain their early lead.
Once the initial storm had passed, the DRC fully regained control of the match by launching wave after wave of attacks. In the 16th minute, off a well-taken corner kick by the unstoppable Mbuku, Edo Kayembe’s shot narrowly missed the target.
Two minutes later, Mbuku and Kayembe once again distinguished themselves with long-range shots in quick succession, but were thwarted by an alert Sierra Leonean goalkeeper.
With total technical and territorial dominance as the half-hour mark approached, the Leopards continued to suffocate their opponents without, however, managing to capitalize on their clear dominance.
It wasn’t until the 36th minute that the Stade des Martyrs erupted for a second time, as Samuel Moutoussamy fired a brilliant shot into the top corner of the opposing goalkeeper’s net to double the lead (2-0).
Thanks to this successful first half, marked by formidable efficiency and seamless teamwork, the DRC headed into the locker room with a well-deserved two-goal lead.
The Leopards now only need to protect this lead or drive the nail home in the second half to secure a precious victory in front of their home crowd.
