DR Congo and Portugal don ready to face each other for di 2026 World Cup Group K opener for NRG Stadium for Houston, Texas. Kick-off na 7pm CAT, and dis match be historic for di Leopards, wey dey appear for di global showpiece since 1974.
Di Leopards preparation bin suffer heavy disruption because of Ebola outbreak for dia home, wey force dem to complete 21-day quarantine before entering United States. Desabre squad bin move dia training camp from Kinshasa to Belgium for end of May, den play two warm-up matches against Denmark and Chile for Europe. Dem draw 0-0 with Denmark on 3 June and lose 2-1 to Chile six days later. Desabre talk say e dey pleased with how di players adapt to di difficult situation.
DR Congo qualify for di tournament through playoffs, wey dem beat Jamaica 1-0 after extra time on 31 March. Di team wey formerly known as Zaire dey hope to put up good showing after long absence.
Portugal, on di other hand, lose only one of dia six qualifiers – a 2-0 defeat to Republic of Ireland – to finish top of dia group. Roberto Martinez side dey unbeaten for 2026, with draws and wins against Mexico, USA, Chile, and Nigeria. Portugal don feature for di last six World Cups, with dia best performance coming for 2006 when dem reach semifinals.
Players to watch: For Portugal, Bruno Fernandes dey shine after stellar season with Manchester United, wey e set record for most assists (21) and score nine goals. E score first hat-trick for dia country for 9-1 drubbing of Armenia for November 2025 and find net against Chile earlier dis month. For DR Congo, Yoane Wissa play crucial role for qualifying before knee injury sideline am for four months. Di 29-year-old striker struggle for Newcastle after move from Brentford for September 2025, scoring only one goal for 19 Premier League appearances. E go hope to prove fitness for World Cup.
Head-to-head between di two teams na N/A, as dem never meet before for competitive match. Fans fit watch di match live on DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, and Access, or stream on DStv Stream app.
