DR Congo spanks Mauritania 2-0 in FIFA W/Cup qualifier

• Equatorial Guinea pips Namibia, Sierra Leone holds Ethiopia

The Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo kicked-off their bid for a second world cup appearance with a solid 2-0 hiding of Mauritania in a Group B clash on Wednesday.

Yoane Wissa netted the opening goal for the two-time AFCON Champions, who last appeared at the mundial held in the then West Germany in 1974.

Substitute Theo Bongonda, a former Belgian Under-21 international, played the ball through for Wissa to chip the goalkeeper and put the Congolese ahead in the 63rd minute of their Group B game in Kinshasa.

Yoane Wissa scored DR Congo’s opener in the 2-0 win over Mauritania in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers pic.twitter.com/1jyrlgchPw

— Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) November 15, 2023

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World Cup Qualifiers
83′: Goal Théo Bongonda!#RDCMTN pic.twitter.com/pwhxYotdrs

— CAFMEDIA (@Nadori_Z) November 15, 2023

DR Congo now lead the group but have AFCON champions Senegal, Togo, Sudan and South-Sudan to contend with.

Striker Emilio Nsue, 34, scored the first goal of the qualifying campaign on the continent as he fired home from close range to earn Equatorial Guinea a 1-0 home win over Namibia in Malabo.

The former Middlesbrough and Birmingham City forward took advantage of poor defending to give the small former Spanish colony a winning start in Group H.

Sierra Leone forced Ethiopia to a goalless draw in Morocco.

FULL TIME SCORE pic.twitter.com/RbZOfP7gjH

— Sierra Leone Football Association (@SLFA_sl) November 15, 2023

The match was initially stopped due to heavy fog, but it resumed after a long delay.