DR Congo and the Republic of Benin will open their respective Africa Cup of Nations campaigns in Group D when the two sides meet at Al Madina Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
With further group fixtures against Senegal and Botswana to come, both nations will be eager to strengthen their chances of progressing beyond the opening phase, making this encounter an important early marker.
DR Congo are aiming to better their showing at the previous edition, where they finished fourth after losing on penalties in the third-place playoff.
While that run underlined their recent competitiveness, the Leopards’s greatest achievement in the competition remains the 1968 triumph, which stands as their only AFCON title to date.
DR Congo arrive in Morocco with confidence high, having claimed four outright victories from their last five matches, with the lone exception carrying even more weight, as Sebastien Desabre’s side booked a place in the World Cup intercontinental playoff after edging Nigeria on penalties in the African qualifying final.
Ranked 56th in the current FIFA World Rankings, the Leopards will be keen to start their AFCON campaign on a positive note, particularly against opponents placed 36 positions lower and arriving without strong momentum.
Benin come into the tournament on the back of successive defeats, including a heavy loss to Nigeria in their final World Cup qualifier, a result that ended their hopes of reaching the 2026 global finals, and that disappointment was compounded by a further setback in a friendly against Burkina Faso in November.
Despite those struggles, the Cheetahs will be targeting a rare progression from the group stage, having managed that feat only once in their previous four AFCON appearances; that success came in the 2019 edition, which was also their most recent participation prior to this tournament.
How the bookies view it: The Leopards have the edge
The odds reflect the difference in recent form and pedigree, with DR Congo installed as favourites. The Leopards are priced at 7/10 to claim victory, while Benin are available at 26/5. A draw is quoted at 47/20.
Recent head-to-head: Leopards unbeaten
DR Congo are unbeaten in their two previous meetings with Benin, both of which came during the 2021 World Cup qualifiers. The Leopards followed up a 1–1 draw away from home with a 2–0 victory on their own ground.
Players to watch: Captain Mbemba to lead by example
Captain Chancel Mbemba was instrumental in DR Congo’s World Cup qualifying success, marshalling the defence and scoring the decisive goal in the playoff semi-final against Cameroon. His influence at both ends of the pitch could again prove decisive.
For Benin, Aiyegun Tosin remains a key figure after scoring their most recent goal and may be central to any attempt to end the team’s current goal drought.
Probable lineups
Mario Stroeykens has withdrawn from the DR Congo squad after sustaining a knee injury, while Benin report no fresh fitness concerns.
DR Congo: Mpasi-Nzau; Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku; Mukau, Moutoussamy, Sadiki; Elia, Bakambu, Mbuku
Benin: Dandjinou; Kiki, Tijani, Verdon, Ouorou; Imourane, Dodo, Olaitan; Aloko, Mounie, Tosin
Anything else that catches the eye?
DR Congo have won four of their last five matches inside 90 minutes, and that momentum points towards another positive result against a Benin side that have lost their two most recent outings.
Each of Benin’s last seven matches has been won by the team scoring first without reply, while all of DR Congo’s last four outright victories have come with clean sheets. With the Cheetahs also failing to score in their previous two games, the likelihood of both sides finding the net appears limited.
In addition, DR Congo are unbeaten in five matches across all competitions, with none of those encounters producing more than two goals, suggesting a controlled contest is likely.
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