DR Congo vs Benin: Can the Leopards Take the Next Step in AFCON 2025?

by Joseph King | by Joseph King

image DR Congo vs Benin: Can the Leopards Take the Next Step in AFCON 2025?
DR Congo and Benin clash horns in Rabat for the first match of Group D. With group favourites Senegal kicking off a few hours later, this matchup could be crucial in determining which team goes on to finish second and qualify for the knockout stages. The stakes are high with the 2025 African Cup of Nations now in full swing!

DR Congo looking to maintain consistent results

Group D kicks off with one of the 2025 African Cup of Nations dark horses in DR Congo taking on Benin at the El Barid Stadium in Rabat. DR Congo comes into this clash at 56th (9th among African teams) in the FIFA rankings, while Benin comes in at 92nd (20th among African teams).

DR Congo has posted solid results in recent editions of the African Cup of Nations. They finished third in 2015, made the quarter-finals in 2017, round of 16 in 2019 and finished fourth in 2023. The goal for this tournament will be a return to the semi-finals, with the hope that they’ll be able to go one step further and make the final for the first time since being crowned champions back in 1974.

Benin, meanwhile, have done well just to qualify for what will be their fifth appearance in this competition after a hard fought qualification group. Advancing from the group stage would be seen as a success, and getting something from this first match is crucial if they are to achieve that. Want to see what our experts think about the matchup? Check out our DR Congo vs Benin prediction!

DR Congo at AFCON results:

  • Appearances: 20
  • Fourth-place finishes: 2 (2023, 1972)
  • Third-place finishes: 2 (2015, 1998)
  • Runners-up: 0
  • Champions: 2 (1974, 1968)

Benin at AFCON results:

  • Appearances: 4
  • Group stage exits: 3 (2010, 2008, 2004)
  • Quarter-finals: 1 (2019)

Just how impactful will Yoane Wissa’s absence be for DR Congo?

Yoane Wissa will miss AFCON 2025

A big blow to DR Congo comes in the form of Yoane Wissa, who will officially miss out on the 2025 African Cup of Nations, much to the delight of Newcastle fans. Some reports are stating that the decision was Wissa’s, as he prefers to focus on his club duties, while other reports state that he wasn’t called up due to insufficient match time after his long injury layoff. The truth, likely, lies somewhere in the middle.

Naturally, Wissa’s talents will be a big miss. The 29-year-old was coming off a scintillating 2024-25 season at Brentford, banging in 19 Premier League goals and providing 4 assists in 35 appearances, which earned him a big money £55 million move to the Magpies.

With that said, DR Congo have raised their level of play in Wissa’s absence. Since the forward’s injury in the 3-2 defeat to Senegal back in September, the Leopards have gone on a five-match unbeaten run which includes four victories.

Battle of veteran strikers in Bakambu vs Mounie

DR Congo manager Sebastien Desabre tends to prefer a lone-striker formation, oftentimes lining up in a 4-3-3 / 4-1-4-1 shape. This means that Real Betis striker Cedric Bakambu should continue to lead the line, with players like Fiston Mayele playing the role of impact sub. Bakambu has been in fine form for his nation, netting four goals in the final four group stage matches of DR Congo’s 2026 World Cup Qualifying campaign to lead them to a first-place finish.

It will be a battle of veteran strikers as Benin’s Steve Mounie looks to lead the Cheetahs to an upset victory. Both Mounie and Bakambu have very similar statistics for their national teams; Mounie, the 31-year-old former Huddersfield player, has scored 22 times for his country in 63 appearances, while Bakambu has netted 20 times in 64 caps. Interestingly, both strikers are just two goals away from tying the record for most international goals for their respective national teams.