The Democratic Republic of Congo secured their second consecutive win in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, defeating Zimbabwe 2-1 in Harare. This Group E match saw Yoane Wissa play a crucial role, scoring the opening goal and setting up Samuel Moutoussamy for the second goal, giving DR Congo control of the game. Zimbabwe improved in the second half, with Marshall Munetsi scoring a late goal, but the hosts were unable to complete a comeback.
The match marked Zimbabwe's first home international at the National Sports Stadium since November 2021, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa in attendance. The 60,000-capacity venue was largely filled, but the hosts were unable to capitalize on the energy. Wissa opened the scoring after 30 minutes when Zimbabwe goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze failed to hold a cross, and the loose ball fell kindly for the Newcastle United striker, who poked it into the net.
DR Congo doubled their advantage shortly before half-time, with Wissa's pass releasing Moutoussamy, who finished the opportunity to give the visitors a two-goal cushion. This result highlighted the difference between the sides during the opening 45 minutes, with DR Congo dominating against a Zimbabwe team ranked 89 places below their opponents.
Wissa came close to adding further goals himself, with his first-half effort beating Chipezeze but rolling just wide, and shortly after the hour mark, he struck the woodwork. Zimbabwe were more competitive in the second half and eventually reduced the deficit through Munetsi in the 93rd minute, marking his third goal in his last two matches for Zimbabwe.
Munetsi's goal came after a strong performance in the previous week's dramatic 3-2 away victory against Sierra Leone. The Wolverhampton Wanderers player had scored twice in that match, demonstrating his growing form for Zimbabwe. Despite the late goal, DR Congo held on to secure the win and top spot in Group E with six points.
DR Congo, who were last-32 losers to England at the 2026 World Cup, began their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 home victory over Equatorial Guinea. Zimbabwe have three points, level with Equatorial Guinea, while Sierra Leone remain without a point. The teams will continue their qualifying campaign in November, with Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea due to meet twice.
In other qualifying matches, Equatorial Guinea kept their campaign alive with a 1-0 victory over Sierra Leone in Yaounde, Cameroon. Loren Zuniga scored after only a minute. Central African Republic also played away from home, losing 1-0 to Burkina Faso in Casablanca, Morocco, with Aboubacar Camara scoring the only goal in the second half.
Key points
- DR Congo secured their second consecutive win in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
- Yoane Wissa played a decisive role in the match, scoring and setting up a goal.
- Zimbabwe marked their first home international match at the National Sports Stadium since November 2021.
