Has DR Congo Ever Won AFCON?

DR Congo's trophy history

The Democratic Republic of Congo's most recent Africa Cup of Nations title came in 1974, while competing as Zaire, when they beat Zambia in a replay after the first final finished level. It was their second continental title, following the 1968 win under the name Congo-Kinshasa. Zaire became the first sub-Saharan African nation to appear at a World Cup in 1974, and DR Congo returned to the tournament in 2026. They have not added another AFCON or World Cup title despite later strong AFCON runs. Their home-based national team won the separate CHAN competition in 2009 and 2016.

The current Leopards are led by Sébastien Desabre. They opened AFCON 2027 qualifying with six points from wins over Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe; two subsequent Uganda friendlies do not change that table. DR Congo Now covers the Sierra Leone fixtures, results and squad questions.

DR Congo's senior international honours

DR Congo's World Cup record

DR Congo's notable tournament finishes

Legendary DR Congo players

• Mwepu Ilunga — Became internationally famous for prematurely running out of the wall to clear the ball at the 1974 World Cup against Brazil.
• Ndaye Mulamba — Top scorer of the 1974 AFCON tournament, one of the stars of that title-winning squad.

Interesting facts about DR Congo

• Playing as Zaire, DR Congo became the first sub-Saharan African nation to appear at a World Cup, in 1974.
• Defender Mwepu Ilunga's premature free-kick clearance against Brazil in 1974 remains one of the World Cup's most famous (and misunderstood) moments.
• The 1968 title was won as Congo-Kinshasa; the country competed as Zaire for the 1974 title.
• DR Congo has not won AFCON since 1974, despite later semifinal appearances. Their home-based national team won CHAN in 2009 and 2016; CHAN is separate from the AFCON/World Cup counter.

DR Congo frequently asked questions

Teams related to DR Congo

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