DR Congo National Team – Key Facts

Known as Les Léopards, DR Congo’s men’s national side competes under FECOFA within CAF. The team has a proud continental pedigree with two Africa Cup of Nations titles and remains a consistent presence in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.

Nickname: Les Léopards • FIFA code: COD • Home ground: Stade des Martyrs (Kinshasa)

Big Tournaments Focus

FIFA World Cup

DR Congo (as Zaire) became the first Sub‑Saharan African team to reach the FIFA World Cup finals in 1974. Since then, the Leopards have pushed through multiple strong qualification campaigns and continue to chase a return to the finals in the expanded 2026 cycle.

Finals appearances: 1 (1974)
Best result: Group stage (1974)
Current path: See World Cup qualifying standings and fixtures on our WCQ hub.

Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)

The Leopards are two‑time African champions with deep tournament history and recent knockout-round runs.

Champions: 1968, 1974
Recent highlights: Third place (2015), Fourth place (2023)
Appearances: 20+ editions since first entry in the 1960s

African Nations Championship (CHAN)

Dominant in the home‑based players’ competition, DR Congo set the standard early and added a second crown in 2016.

Winners: 2009, 2016

Head‑to‑Head Snapshots

A few notable matchups from competitive and qualifying play. This is a narrative snapshot—visit the Matches page for recent games and detail.

Zambia: storied continental duels including the replayed 1974 AFCON final.
Egypt: frequent tournament meetings against one of Africa’s most decorated sides.
Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon: regular heavyweight encounters shaping AFCON and WCQ paths.
Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast: modern-era tests against recent AFCON contenders and champions.
Republic of the Congo: a long-running Central African derby with high stakes in qualifiers.

For fixtures and results, check the Matches page.

History (Short Version)

Origins: First internationals in the late 1940s; FIFA affiliation in the early 1960s.
Rise to continental glory: AFCON champions in 1968 and 1974; as Zaire, qualified for the 1974 World Cup.
Lean years and rebuilds: cycles of near‑misses and quarter‑final runs through the 1990s and 2000s.
Modern era: CHAN titles (2009, 2016), AFCON medal in 2015, and a deep 2023 run.

Home Stadium

Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa is the primary home of the Leopards, with occasional fixtures in Lubumbashi or neutral venues when regulations and logistics require.

Coaches (Selected Timeline)

A condensed list of notable head coaches who shaped tournament cycles and qualifying campaigns.

Blagoje Vidinić (early 1970s) – AFCON ’74 and 1974 World Cup
Claude Le Roy (mid‑2000s, early 2010s) – AFCON QF appearances
Florent Ibengé (2014–2019) – AFCON 2015 bronze, 2017 QF
Héctor Cúper (2021–2022) – transition cycle
Sébastien Desabre (2022– ) – AFCON 2023 semifinalists, WCQ push

Records

Most caps: Chancel Mbemba
Top scorer: Dieumerci Mbokani

Honours

AFCON: Champions (1968, 1974); Bronze (2015); Fourth (2023)
CHAN: Champions (2009, 2016)

Squad & Players

Current national team selections and player profiles change throughout the season. For an up‑to‑date squad view, visit /national-team/players.

Competitive Record

FIFA World Cup record
Year	Round	Pos	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930–1962	Not a FIFA member
1966	Did not enter
1970	Entry not accepted
1974	Group stage	16th	3	0	0	3	0	14
1978	Withdrew
1982	Did not qualify
1986	Banned
1990	Did not qualify
1994	Did not qualify
1998	Did not qualify
2002	Did not qualify
2006	Did not qualify
2010	Did not qualify
2014	Did not qualify
2018	Did not qualify
2022	Did not qualify
2026	To be determined
2030	To be determined
2034	To be determined
Total	Group stage	1/15	3	0	0	3	0	14

World Cup qualification record
Year	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930–1962	Not a FIFA member
1966	Did not enter
1970	Entry not accepted
1974	11	8	2	1	20	4
1978	Withdrew
1982	6	4	1	1	13	12
1986	Banned
1990	6	2	2	2	7	7
1994	3	0	1	2	1	3
1998	8	2	2	4	11	10
2002	10	4	2	4	17	18
2006	10	4	4	2	14	10
2010	6	3	0	3	14	6
2014	8	3	3	2	11	5
2018	8	6	1	1	20	9
2022	8	3	3	2	11	8
2026	6	4	1	1	7	2
Total	90	43	21	26	146	94

Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)

AFCON finals record
Year	Round	Pos	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA
1957	Part of Belgium
1959	Part of Belgium
1962	Not affiliated to CAF
1963	Not affiliated to CAF
1965	Group stage	5th	2	0	0	2	2	8
1968	Champions	1st	5	4	0	1	10	2
1970	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	2	5
1972	Fourth place	4th	5	1	2	2	9	11
1974	Champions	1st	6	4	1	1	14	8
1976	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	3	6
1978	Did not enter
1980	Did not qualify
1982	Did not qualify
1984	Withdrew
1986	Did not qualify
1988	Group stage	7th	3	0	2	1	2	3
1990	Did not qualify
1992	Quarter-finals	6th	3	0	2	1	2	3
1994	Quarter-finals	7th	3	1	1	1	2	3
1996	Quarter-finals	8th	3	1	0	2	2	3
1998	Third place	3rd	6	3	1	2	10	9
2000	Group stage	12th	3	0	2	1	0	1
2002	Quarter-finals	6th	4	1	1	2	3	4
2004	Group stage	15th	3	0	0	3	1	6
2006	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	1	2	3	6
2008	Did not qualify
2010	Did not qualify
2012	Did not qualify
2013	Group stage	10th	3	0	3	0	3	3
2015	Third place	3rd	6	1	4	1	7	7
2017	Quarter-finals	6th	4	2	1	1	7	5
2019	Round of 16	14th	4	1	1	2	6	6
2021	Did not qualify
2023	Fourth place	4th	7	1	5	1	6	5
2025	Qualified
2027	To be determined
2029	To be determined
Total	2 Titles	21/35	80	21	29	30	94	104

AFCON qualification record (total)
Year	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA
Total	149	77	35	37	250	156

Head‑to‑Head

Head‑to‑head record
Opponent ▲	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	W%	L%
Algeria	7	0	4	3	4	10	0	42.86
Angola	17	8	5	4	22	13	47.06	23.53
Bahrain	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	100
Benin	4	3	1	0	10	4	75	0
Botswana	5	2	3	0	4	0	40	0
Brazil	1	0	0	1	0	3	0	100
Burkina Faso	13	5	2	6	23	21	38.46	46.15
Burundi	4	4	0	0	9	3	100	0
Cameroon	36	11	7	18	32	46	30.56	50
Cape Verde	3	1	2	0	3	2	33.33	0
Central African Republic	7	5	1	1	18	5	71.43	14.29
Chad	1	1	0	0	4	0	100	0
Congo	38	18	12	8	66	38	47.37	21.05
Djibouti	4	3	1	0	21	3	75	0
Egypt	14	1	5	8	15	27	7.14	57.14
Equatorial Guinea	3	1	1	1	5	2	33.33	33.33
Eswatini	7	3	1	3	11	6	42.86	42.86
Ethiopia	8	6	0	2	14	6	75	25
Gabon	19	6	8	5	16	16	31.58	26.32
Gambia	3	1	1	1	3	5	33.33	33.33
Ghana	24	5	6	13	23	40	20.83	54.17
Guinea	15	6	2	5	15	11	40	33.33
Iraq	2	0	0	2	1	3	0	100
Ivory Coast	20	5	6	9	27	34	25	45
Kenya	12	6	2	4	16	13	50	33.33
Lesotho	7	3	4	0	17	4	42.86	0
Liberia	9	4	2	3	15	10	44.44	33.33
Libya	12	5	5	2	19	11	41.67	16.67
Madagascar	15	8	3	4	30	16	53.33	26.67
Malawi	7	4	2	1	9	6	57.14	14.29
Mali	12	3	4	5	15	18	25	41.67
Mauritania	6	6	0	0	17	1	100	0
Mauritius	5	5	0	0	16	3	100	0
Mexico	1	0	0	1	1	2	0	100
Morocco	17	3	9	5	14	20	17.65	29.41
Mozambique	7	5	2	0	15	7	71.43	0
Namibia	3	1	1	1	4	7	33.33	33.33
New Zealand	2	0	2	0	2	2	0	0
Niger	3	1	1	1	3	3	33.33	33.33
Nigeria	10	4	1	5	16	16	40	50
North Korea	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Oman	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	0
Qatar	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	0
Romania	2	0	2	0	2	2	0	0
Rwanda	5	2	0	3	10	7	40	60
Saudi Arabia	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	100
Scotland	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	100
Senegal	13	3	4	6	13	18	23.08	46.15
Seychelles	2	2	0	0	7	0	100	0
Sierra Leone	3	3	0	0	8	1	100	0
South Africa	9	1	2	6	5	10	11.11	66.67
South Sudan	2	2	0	0	5	1	100	0
Sudan	12	7	2	3	20	11	58.33	25
Tanzania	18	7	8	3	17	11	38.89	16.67
Togo	17	13	3	1	41	11	76.47	5.88
Tunisia	20	5	4	11	17	27	25	55
Uganda	16	9	2	5	29	10	56.25	31.25
Yugoslavia	1	0	0	1	0	9	0	100
Zambia	27	8	12	7	43	35	29.63	25.93
Zimbabwe	8	3	2	3	17	10	37.5	37.5