DR Congo host Cote d’Ivoire in Olympic qualifying first leg

DR Congo face Cote d’Ivoire in Lubumbashi on Friday, 9 October 2026, in the first leg of the second round of qualifying for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The match at the TP Mazembe Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 13:30 GMT. That is 15:30 in France and Lubumbashi, 14:30 in Kinshasa and 13:30 in Abidjan.

Cote d’Ivoire arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday and completed their final training session on Thursday under French head coach Reynald Pedros.

The Leopards, managed by Pamphile Mihayo, will look to make home advantage count before the return fixture in Abidjan on Tuesday, 13 October. That match will be played at the Felix-Houphouet-Boigny Stadium.

Television coverage of the first leg had not been confirmed when this article was published. No official announcement had named the channels that would broadcast the game.

RTNC, the Congolese national broadcaster, and Cote d’Ivoire’s equivalent, RTI, are possible options for viewers. Supporters have been advised to check the broadcasters’ schedules and official channels in the hours before kick-off.

Cote d’Ivoire begin the two-legged tie with greater recent momentum after an encouraging campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, their first appearance in the competition for 12 years.

Pedros’ side finished top of their group ahead of South Africa. They recorded wins over Burkina Faso, 4-1, and Tanzania, 2-1, while drawing 2-2 with the South Africans.

Their run ended in the quarter-finals, where they were beaten 2-1 by Algeria.

DR Congo were absent from the most recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after losing to South Africa in qualifying. They drew 1-1 at home before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat in Johannesburg, conceding the decisive goal in the final minutes.

The Olympic qualifying campaign gives the Leopards another opportunity to test themselves against one of the continent’s ambitious sides and rebuild their momentum.

Friday’s result will be crucial ahead of the second leg in Abidjan, where the tie will be decided and the place in the third qualifying round secured.