DR Congo - Equatorial Guinea

A long-standing competitive history between these two nations resumes as they prepare to face off on 24 September 2026. This matchday 1 encounter in the Africa Cup of Nations qualification group stage marks the latest chapter in a series of meetings that have often been defined by tactical tension and defensive resilience.

Their most notable recent meeting came during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, where the sides played out a goalless draw in the bronze match. Prior to that, the teams traded dominant victories during the 2012 qualification cycle, with DR Congo securing a convincing 4-0 win before Equatorial Guinea responded with a 2-1 victory of their own. As both sides look to establish early momentum in this group, they will lean on these historical precedents to navigate what promises to be a tightly contested opening fixture.