DR Congo vs Benin: Missed Opportunities and VAR Drama as Leopards Claim Victory in Their AFCON 2025 Opener

DR Congo stunned Benin 1-0 in their first group stage match at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in a match played at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on Tuesday, December 23.

The recent competitive history between DR Congo and Benin is limited to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where the ‘Leopards’ of DR Congo secured a 2–0 victory at home following a 1–1 draw in the first leg.

DR Congo enter the tournament in stellar form, carrying momentum from a fourth-place finish at AFCON 2023 and a current five-match winning streak under coach Sébastien Desabre.

Meanwhile, the ‘Cheetahs’ of Benin, led by veteran manager Gernot Rohr, are making a long-awaited return to the finals and aim to recapture the magic of their historic 2019 quarter-final run.

The match began with DR Congo testing Benin’s defence early and earning a corner within the opening three minutes.

They looked to capitalise, but a Benin defender cleared the danger, as DR Congo continued to apply pressure and came close again in the 11th minute.

Soon after, DR Congo’s striker appeared poised to give his side the lead, only for Benin goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbé to produce another vital save.

DR Congo then won a free kick just outside the box in the 14th minute, but it failed to trouble the scoreboard; however, two minutes later, defensive gaps allowed Théo Bongonda to break the deadlock.

Benin responded with two corners in quick succession in search of an equaliser, but they were unable to convert their chances.

Benin won a free kick in the 24th minute, but Dodo Dokou’s effort drifted wide and lacked the power to trouble the defence. In the 28th minute, DR Congo were awarded a free kick, but it was not converted successfully.

Heading into the 37th minute, two Congolese players had been shown yellow cards, Samuel Moutoussamy and Edo Kayembe.

In the 41st minute, Benin earned a corner that was quickly cleared by the DR Congo defence, but the Cheaters recycled possession and continued to threaten the goal, gently knocking on the door and looking to find parity before the break.

Benin began the second half pushing hard for an equaliser, while DR Congo looked to protect their slender lead and add to it. Just seconds after the restart, Cédric Bakambu thought he had doubled DR Congo’s advantage with a header, but the celebrations were cut short after a VAR review ruled out the goal.

In the 52nd minute, DR Congo were awarded a free kick following a dangerous tackle on Aaron Wan-Bissaka. In the 54th minute, DR Congo made a change, with Ngal'ayel Mukau coming on for Edo Kayembe.

DR Congo were on the verge of adding another goal in the 59th minute, but a miscalculation worked in favour of Benin. In the 62nd minute, Benin made changes in their attacking, with the Cheaters banking on Romaric Amoussou to bring in his creativity. At the same time, Bakambu became the third Congolese player to be booked.

In the 65th minute, Benin were awarded a free kick just outside the box, an opportunity for them to score and level the scores. However, the long strike did not yield the desired result.

DR Congo then further made changes in the 67th minute. Bakambu then had another chance to score in the 70th minute, but the Benin keeper made a crucial save.

With just over 10 minutes to go, DR Congo continued pressing, with Benin now tightening their defence. The Cheaters then came close to scoring again in the 82nd minute, with the outcome resulting in a corner that was not converted successfully.

In the final minutes of the match, Aiyegun Tosin had two chances to score but missed them narrowly. With 10 minutes of added time, the Benin forward had a chance to redeem himself.

However, Benin’s attempts to equalise came too late, and the match ended 1-0 in DR Congo's favour.