Lionel Mpasi says DR Congo's FIFA World Cup qualification would be historic

[p]The Leopards are desperate to make a comeback to the global showpiece that will take place from June 11th to July 19th, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by sixteen cities - 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.[/p][p]The tournament will be the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted by three nations, and the first to include 48 teams, an expansion from 32.[/p][p][b]DR Congo last appeared in the FIFA World Cup once, in 1974, playing as Zaire, where they were the first Sub-Saharan African team to qualify. They finished last in their group after losing all three matches.[/b][/p][p]Their opener was a 2-0 defeat against Scotland, followed by a 9-0 thrashing by Yugoslavia, before they rounded off their Group 2 matches with a 3-0 defeat against Brazil.[/p][p]After 52 years of absence, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/d-r-congo/phn9mm8H/"]DR Congo[/a], under coach Sebastien Desabre have an opportunity to return to the biggest stage. To get there, the Leopards will need to see off the winner of the match between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jamaica/CWmDb3zj/"]Jamaica[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-caledonia/0d8yIVUN/"]New Caledonia[/a] in their play-off tie on March 31st.[/p][h2]DR Congo qualification will be historic[/h2][p][b]“Playing in the World Cup after 52 years would be historic for the country. We know that everyone is eager for us to make it and as a player, it would be the pinnacle of my career,”[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mpasi-nzau-lionel/pzX674k0/"]Mpasi[/a], who plays for Ligue 1 club Le Havre, told [i][b]FIFA.com[/b][/i].[/p][p]“If I get the chance to play in a World Cup, having made it to the highest level in France and getting my first minutes in Ligue 1 this year, then I could say that I’ve done everything I wanted to in football. If I reflect on everything I’ve been through, I have a lot to be proud of.”[/p][embed guid="be4ebbb1-04e5-47ee-9d47-6b65d3cacddb" url="https://x.com/FecofaRdc/status/2031708145139978540" social-type="twitter" /][p]On how he feels heading into the FIFA play-off Tournament, he said: [b]“I can’t wait! Until now, I’ve been focused on my matches with Le Havre, but from the moment I arrive in Mexico, the excitement will only grow.[/b][/p][p]“For a match like this, you don’t need any extra motivation.”[/p][p]Mpasi added:[b] “It’s inevitably going to be tough. Even though we are above both nations on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, anything can happen on the pitch. I think it will be similar to when we lost to Algeria in the Africa Cup of Nations, a tight game decided by small details.”[/b][/p][h2]DR Congo must always believe[/h2][p]Mpasi, who was born in Meaux, in the Eastern suburbs of Paris, to Congolese parents, further revisited how DR Congo managed to make it from the group stages despite finishing two points behind Senegal.[/p][p][b]“With dedication and hard work. We’ve been through two phases of qualifiers, and we were first in our group for a long time, but we missed out on qualifying directly in our second match against Senegal (a 3-2 defeat),”[/b] added Mpasi.[/p][p]“We were disappointed, but we knew our path to the World Cup would be difficult, not impossible. We beat Cameroon and then [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nigeria/EBE2Xb3l/"]Nigeria[/a], so now we are just one step away from the World Cup. You always have to believe.”[/p][p]On being rated second choice goalkeeper by coach Desabre, Mpasi, who played every minute for the Leopards at the recent 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, opened up: [b]“It’s a great challenge for me! I tell myself that I work hard every day with a Ligue 1 squad so I am ready when I am called upon.[/b][/p][embed guid="3a320ee2-1ab4-47cd-b684-a32d6479159e" url="https://x.com/CongoleseFNews/status/2006788044721201155" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]“Things have been going really well this season at Le Havre. The competition is fierce. Sebastien could be worried as I haven’t played many first-team games, but he has put his faith in me and I repay him by staying ready.”[/b][/p][p]On whether DR Congo have studied their opponents Jamaica or New Caledonia,” Mpasi said: [b]“A few of us are in a Snapchat group and Cedric (Bakambu, Congo DR forward) sent us highlights from Jamaica v Nigeria (a friendly match on 31 May 2025 which ended with a win for Nigeria on penalties).[/b][/p][p][b]“As Nigeria is a team we know well, it was a useful point of reference. We haven’t seen as much of New Caledonia, but I think the main thing will be to focus on ourselves. We certainly have a lot of tactical work to do when we’re there.”[/b][/p][p]World Cup 2026 venues Guadalajara Stadium and Monterrey Stadium will be the setting for the matches, beginning with the semi-finals on March 26th and the finals on March 31st.[/p][p][b]The winner of each final will progress to the global finals in June and July in North America. Here, FIFA takes a look at the teams involved and how they can secure a World Cup ticket.[/b][/p][p]The Leopards finished as one of the best four second-place finishers in CAF qualifying and then eliminated continental giants and World Cup mainstays Cameroon and Nigeria to reach the play-off Tournament.[/p][image alt="Dennis Mabuka" id="009ee08a-c012-41bf-bdae-acba9770ea19" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="6b44d4dd-8e9b-44ad-ab11-853402a29c31" original-width="1200" original-height="381" /]