Rain-soaked celebrations erupt in Kinshasa as DR Congo qualifies for World Cup

Fans in Kinshasa danced through heavy rain into the night after the Democratic Republic of the Congo ended a 52-year wait to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

The decisive moment came when Axel Tuanzebe, a defender for Burnley FC, scored the only goal in a 1-0 extra-time win against Jamaica in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico on Tuesday.

DR Congo will compete in Group K alongside Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan at this summer’s finals in North America.

The country’s only previous appearance came in 1974 under the name Zaire, where it lost all three group matches.

“We gave it our all, right here in the rain!” said fan Beni Ile.

“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.”

Celebrations swept across the capital, where the final whistle in Guadalajara triggered loud cheers, car horns, whistles and the clanging of pots.

The Leopards’ path to qualification included victories over African powerhouses Nigeria and Cameroon, making the achievement even more remarkable.

From early morning, residents had worn the team’s colours, and by evening hundreds gathered in the city centre to follow the match.

Even torrential rain could not dampen the celebrations after 120 tense minutes, as joy and relief spread through the crowd.

Beyond football, the victory offered a rare sense of unity in a country affected by decades of unrest and the resurgence of the M23 rebel group.

“It’s truly exceptional, we are very proud of the Leopards today for this feat,” said Merou from Goma.

“This victory will unify the Congo.

“We hope the whole country will benefit from it.”

Maclain, another supporter, said: “We deserve a moment of happiness, away from the gunfire.

“We need to come together too.”

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