The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) who defeated Super Eagles 4-3 in shootouts to pick Africa’s sole ticket to the Intercontinental playoffs next year in Mexico, have been handed a favourable draw that will see the Central Africans play just a match to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

DR Congo battled Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time before going all the way to win the ticket in the penalty shootouts in Rabat, Morocco.

At yesterday’s draw in the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, as one of the two seeded teams in the six-nation tournament, DR Congo advanced directly to the final of Pathway 1, where they will face either New Caledonia or Jamaica in March in Guadalajara or Monterrey, Mexico.

For Congolese fans still celebrating their dramatic victory over Nigeria in the African qualifying playoffs, the draw represents a realistic route to their first-ever World Cup appearance. The first time they played in the World Cup was as Zaire and were scandalously mauled in 1974 by former Yugoslavia 9-0 amongst other woeful results.

In Pathway 1, New Caledonia will face Jamaica in the semi-final, with the winner taking on DR Congo in the final. Jamaica, who failed to secure direct qualification after dropping crucial points against Curaçao, have been plunged into uncertainty following the resignation of head coach Steve McClaren. New Caledonia will be seeking a rare global breakthrough.

Observers say either opponent presents challenges, but Congo’s recent form and rising confidence give them an edge.

A DR Congo victory in March next year would mark an extraordinary milestone, ending decades of near-misses and disappointment in African World Cup qualifying history.

The inter-confederation playoff tournament features six teams from CAF, AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and OFC. Seeded alongside DR Congo, Iraq progressed directly to the final of Pathway 2, where they will face the winner between Bolivia and Suriname. Iraq are attempting to qualify for their first World Cup since their 1986 debut.

A separate UEFA playoff draw was also conducted, with 16 European teams battling for four remaining spots.