DR Congo eliminated from CAN U20 qualifying by draw

The Democratic Republic of Congo have been denied a place at the 2027 CAN U20 after losing a deciding draw to Gabon in the UNIFFAC qualifying tournament in Cameroon.

The Leopardeaux U20 side were unbeaten in the competition but were eliminated after the three teams in their group finished level on two points.

DR Congo opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Gabon on 12 October before drawing 1-1 with Congo-Brazzaville on Sunday. In between those matches, Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon also played out a 1-1 draw on 15 October.

That left all three teams on two points. Congo-Brazzaville finished top after scoring two goals, but there was no way to separate Gabon and DR Congo, who had each scored once and conceded once.

The regulations therefore required a random draw to determine which side would progress. UNIFFAC held the draw at Stade d’Olembe in Yaounde on Monday at 12h, with Gabon receiving the favourable outcome and DR Congo being knocked out.

The result ends the Leopardeaux’s hopes of reaching CAN U20 2027, despite the team not losing a match. DR Congo had also reached the quarter-finals of the previous CAN U20 in 2025.

The UNIFFAC tournament semi-finals will be played on 21 October. Cameroon will face Gabon, while Congo-Brazzaville will meet the Central African Republic.

The two semi-final winners will qualify for CAN U20, which is scheduled to take place in Ghana in 2027.

Protests over preparation conditions

DR Congo’s elimination comes after a difficult period away from the pitch. A video that has circulated widely shows the Leopardeaux and their staff protesting about the conditions under which they have been supported during the tournament.

The players and staff threatened to boycott that day’s training session. Among their complaints were unpaid bonuses, which they said had still not been received after more than a month of preparation.

That dispute has added to the frustration surrounding an exit decided by a draw, particularly for a team that arrived in Cameroon as the defending UNIFFAC champions.