LIVESCORES MATCH REPORT
DR Congo 2–0 Equatorial Guinea: Mbemba and Wissa seal winning AFCON qualifying start
Chancel Mbemba struck in the fourth minute and Yoane Wissa added a second after the break as DR Congo opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2–0 home win over Equatorial Guinea.
DR Congo made a winning start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2–0 victory over Equatorial Guinea on Thursday, taking three points from their opening Group E fixture.
The Leopards were ahead after only four minutes. Captain Chancel Mbemba met Arthur Masuaku's corner and headed past Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesús Owono, giving the hosts the early advantage and putting the visitors under immediate pressure.
Equatorial Guinea did not disappear from the contest. CAF's match report says they created opportunities as the first half developed, but DR Congo protected their one-goal lead through to the interval. The visitors again threatened after the restart when Saúl Coco tested goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo from distance.
Wissa gives DR Congo breathing room
DR Congo continued searching for the second goal, with Owono denying Nathanaël Mbuku with a header as the hosts pushed forward. The decisive breakthrough arrived in the 72nd minute when Yoane Wissa collected the ball inside the area and finished into the bottom corner for 2–0.
That goal left Equatorial Guinea needing a late turnaround, but DR Congo saw out the remaining minutes. Equatorial Guinea continued to attack and Loren Zúñiga forced a late save from Epolo, who preserved the clean sheet.
The result means both of DR Congo's goals came from experienced figures in the side. Mbemba provided the early platform, while Wissa supplied the second-half finish that removed much of the uncertainty from the closing stages.
Why the opening win matters
Group E also contains Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. Unlike qualifying groups that include one of the automatic tournament hosts, CAF has confirmed that the top two teams in this section qualify for the 2027 finals. With only six group matches for each side, taking maximum points at home is a useful start rather than a guarantee of anything.
DR Congo's next qualifier comes away to Zimbabwe on Monday, 28 September. Equatorial Guinea return home to face Sierra Leone on the same day. Those second-round matches will begin to show whether DR Congo can turn this opening victory into early control of the group, while Equatorial Guinea have an immediate chance to recover.
What it means / what happens next
For DR Congo, the practical value is straightforward: three points, a clean sheet and a positive goal difference before their first away match of the campaign. Equatorial Guinea leave the opening round without a point and now face greater pressure to take something from their home fixture against Sierra Leone.
There was also a South African search-interest signal around “dr congo vs equatorial guinea” after the match. That should be treated only as evidence of reader attention around the fixture, not as an exact measure of search volume or audience size.