Sports
DRC national football team wins first world cup ticket in 52 years
The Democratic Republic of Congo national football team has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 52 years.
Excited football fans danced all night as they took to the soaked streets of the capital Kinshasa and danced in the rain.
Defender Axel Tuanzebe, who plays in the Premier League for Burnley, was the hero with the only goal in a 1-0 win over Jamaica after extra time in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico on Tuesday.
The central African nation will face Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan in Group K at the finals in North America this summer.
At the 1974 finals in West Germany, the team competed as Zaire and were beaten by Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil.
“We gave it our all, right here in the rain!” shouted Beni Ile, a fan in Kinshasa whose shoulders were draped in a soaked DRC flag.
“We won’t be working on Wednesday! It’s going to be a national holiday. We’re going to celebrate and party all night long.
“We’ve been waiting 50 years for this. We’re staying out until dawn.”
It was a scene replicated across the city of 17 million people, where the final whistle in Guadalajara was greeted by a cacophony of banging pots, car horns and whistles.
The win completed a dramatic qualification campaign for the team nicknamed the Leopards, who eliminated African football giants Nigeria and Cameroon on their way to Tuesday’s playoff.
As early as the morning of the big match, many residents of the DRC capital were already sporting the sky-blue jersey of their beloved national side.
By evening several hundred fans had gathered in a square in the city centre in anticipation to watch the game.
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Even as the rain bucketed down, the conclusion of the match after 120 nervy minutes was met with an outpouring of national pride and relief.
It was also a rare moment of national unity in a country scarred by 30 years of conflict and the resurgence of the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.
“It’s truly exceptional, we are very proud of the Leopards today for this feat,” said Merou, who comes from Goma, a major city in eastern DRC that fell into M23 hands in January 2025.
“This victory will unify the Congo.
“We hope the whole country will benefit from it,” he added, standing in the pouring rain.
Another overjoyed supporter, Maclain, said: “We deserve a moment of happiness, away from the gunfire.
“We need to come together too.”
A Somali referee, Omar Artan, prevented from entering the United States of America to officiate at the world cup, will not get any help from the world football governing body, FIFA.
FIFA said it could not intervene, stressing that visa and entry decisions rest solely with host governments.
“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” a FIFA spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Artan was denied entry after routine inspection, citing “vetting concerns.”
The Somali government expressed “deep regret” over his exclusion, saying Artan “represents the very best of Somali talent.”
The controversy comes as the expanded FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup prepares to begin under heightened political tensions.
said the “biggest dream of my life” was taken away after he was denied entry into the United States to officiate at the FIFA World Cup, following what authorities described as vetting concerns.
Artan, who was named Referee of the Year in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football, has since been removed from FIFA’s list of tournament officials after he was refused entry on arrival in Miami on Saturday.
The decision comes amid broader immigration restrictions linked to travel bans introduced under the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, which include Somalia among several affected countries.
A U.S. State Department United States Department of State official told AFP that Artan was considered “associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations,” a claim that rendered him “inadmissible” under U.S. entry rules.
Following an 11-hour interview with border officials in Miami ,Miami, Artan said he was moved to a holding facility before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
“I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream… to come to the World Cup,” he told The New York Times The New York Times in a phone interview, adding that he had valid documen
tation and a visa.
A Somali referee, Omar Artan, has said the “biggest dream of my life” was taken away after he was denied entry into the United States to officiate at the FIFA World Cup, following what authorities described as vetting concerns.
Artan, who was named Referee of the Year in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football Confederation of African Football, has since been removed from FIFA’s list of tournament officials after he was refused entry on arrival in Miami on Saturday.
The decision comes amid broader immigration restrictions linked to travel bans introduced under the administration of the U.S. President Donald Trump Donald Trump, which include Somalia among several affected countries.
A U.S. State Department United States Department of State official told AFP that Artan was considered “associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations,” a claim that rendered him “inadmissible” under U.S. entry rules.
Following an 11-hour interview with border officials in Miami Miami, Artan said he was moved to a holding facility before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
“I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream… to come to the World Cup,” he told The New York Times The New York Times in a phone interview, adding that he had valid documentation and a visa.
FIFA said it could not intervene, stressing that visa and entry decisions rest solely with host governments.
“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” a FIFA spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Artan was denied entry after routine inspection, citing “vetting concerns.”
The Somali government expressed “deep regret” over his exclusion, saying Artan “represents the very best of Somali talent.”
The controversy comes as the expanded FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup prepares to begin under heightened political tensions.
Iran, one of the participating teams, has reportedly faced logistical disruptions, including changes to training arrangements and visa issues affecting staff and supporters, according
to football authorities.
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