Everything comes down to the final round – Senegal and DR Congo in a photo finish

There was a possibility for Senegal to secure World Cup qualification depending on the outcome of the match between Togo and DR Congo. However, DR Congo managed to claim victory against Togo — just as Senegal did in their own match. As a result, everything will be decided in the final round.

Senegal started the match strongly and quickly took control of possession. Their first clear chance came in the 6th minute, when captain Kalidou Koulibaly met a fine cross with a header that went just wide of the South Sudan goal.

In the 13th minute, South Sudan responded with a rare opportunity — Okello struck from inside the box after a scramble, but his shot flew over the bar.

Senegal continued to press, with Nicolas Jackson attempting a long-range effort in the 23rd minute that also went over. Just a minute later, the visitors came close again when Moussa Niakhate found himself unmarked at the far post, but South Sudan’s goalkeeper Mawith produced an excellent save to keep the score level.

The breakthrough came in the 29th minute: Iliman Ndiaye made a brilliant run down the right flank and set up Ismaila Sarr, who calmly slotted the ball past Mawith to make it 1–0 for Senegal.

Senegal nearly doubled their lead in the 38th minute when Sadio Mane broke through on the left and fired a powerful shot, only for Mawith to deny him. The South Sudan goalkeeper continued his excellent performance, making two more impressive saves — first stopping a strong long-range strike from Pape Matar Sarr in the 41st minute, then denying another close-range attempt a minute later.

At halftime, Senegal leads 1–0, but Mawith’s heroics have kept South Sudan in the game.

Senegal wasted no time extending their lead after the break. Just moments into the second half, in the 46th minute, a defensive blunder from South Sudan allowed Iliman Ndiaye to cross into the box. The goalkeeper got a slight touch on the ball, but Sadio Mane was perfectly positioned to slot it home, making it 2–0 for the visitors.

Only eight minutes later, in the 54th minute, Ismaila Sarr struck again to widen the gap to 3–0. After Nicolas Jackson failed to capitalize in a one-on-one situation, the loose ball fell kindly to Sarr, who made no mistake from close range.

Senegal continued their dominance and, by the 59th minute, they converted another chance to make it 4–0, effectively sealing the game. The South Sudanese defense had no answers to the relentless pressure.

The humiliation was completed in the 75th minute, when yet another defensive lapse left Cherif Ndiaye alone in front of an open goal — he calmly tapped the ball into the net to make it 5–0.

The first half in Lome ended with DR Congo holding a narrow 1–0 lead over Togo, thanks to an early strike from Cedric Bakambu.

The visitors struck first in the 7th minute after a defensive mistake by the Togolese side. Fiston Mayele quickly recovered the ball and sent a perfect long pass to Bakambu, who powered a right-footed shot into the net to give DR Congo the lead.

Despite conceding early, Togo reacted by taking control of possession — by the 11th minute, they held 62% of the ball — but struggled to turn that dominance into clear chances. DR Congo, meanwhile, remained compact and rarely ventured forward after their opening goal.

As the match progressed, Togo pushed for an equalizer, spending much of the half in their opponent’s half, but they lacked creativity in the final third. DR Congo were content to sit deep and protect their advantage, slowing down the pace whenever possible.

By the 38th minute, each team had managed just one shot on target, reflecting a half of limited attacking action. At the break, DR Congo leads 1–0 — a result that keeps their hopes for World Cup qualification firmly alive.

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Togo controlling possession but struggling to break down DR Congo’s organized defense. In the 50th minute, Togo came close to equalizing through Yawo Agbagno, whose powerful long-range strike forced a brilliant save from the Congolese goalkeeper — their best chance of the match so far.

Despite Togo’s continued efforts, clear opportunities remained scarce. DR Congo, already assured of a playoff spot, appeared content to manage the game and protect their slim advantage, rarely venturing forward in numbers.

By the 68th minute, the match had seen just one shot on target in more than 25 minutes of play, reflecting the slow rhythm and lack of attacking creativity from both sides. A cooling break was then taken as the tempo dropped even further.

The half ended without major changes, with DR Congo calmly holding onto their early lead to secure a professional 1–0 victory away from home.

WC QUALIFICATION AFRICA - MATCHDAY 9

Wednesday

Eswatini - Angola 2-2 (0-0)

/Figuareido 48,54 - Buatu 69, Papel 80/

Ethiopia - Guinea B. 1-0 (1-0)

/James 27/

Libya - Cape Verde 3-3 (2-1)

/Lopes 1 og, Al Mariami 42, Al Shalui 58 - Arcanjo 29, Cabral 76, Semedo 82/

Mauritius - Cameroon 0-2 (0-0)

/Ngameleu 57, Mbeumo 90+2/

Central African Republic - Ghana 0-5 (0-1)

/Salisu 20, Partey 52, Djiku 69, Ayew 71, Sulemana 87/

Chad - Mali 0-2 (0-0)

/Doumbia 19, 74/

Comores - Madagascar 1-2 (0-1)

/Said 81 - Couturier 11, Raheriniaina 73/

Djibouti - Egypt 0-3 (0-2)

/Adel 8, Salah 14, 84/

Sierra Leone - Burkina Faso 0-1 (0-1)

/Zougrana 42/

Niger - Congo 3-1 (1-0)

/Sosah 45+3, Oumarou 49, Adebayor 67 - Bassinga 90+4/

Tanzania - Zambia 0-1 (0-0)

/Sakala 75/

Thursday

Burundi - Kenya 0-1 (0-0)

/Ogam 72/

Botswana - Uganda 0-1 (0-0)

/Ssemugabi 55/

Liberia - Namibia 3-1 (2-0)

/Kosiah 3 pen, Bah 9, Ledlum 81 - Karuuombe 87/

Malawi - Equatorial Guinea POSTPONED

Mozambique - Guinea 1-2 (1-1)

/Mandava 19 - Traore 2, 59/

Somalia - Algeria 0-3 (0-2)

/Amoura 6, 58, Mahrez 19/

Friday

South Sudan - Senegal 0-5 (0-1)

/Sarr 29, 54, Mane 46, Jackson 60 pen, Ndiaye 75/

Gambia - Gabon 3-4 (2-2)

/Minteh 23, Sidibeh 45+2, 47 - Aubameyang 20, 42, 62, 78/

Seychelles - Ivory Coast 0-7 (0-4)

/Sangare 7 pen, Agbadou 17, Diakite 32, Guessand 39, Diomande 55, Adingra 67, Kessie 90/

Sudan - Mauritania 0-0

Togo - Dr Congo 0-1 (0-1)

/Bakambu 7/

19.00: (16.0) Lesotho (7.50) Nigeria (1.17)

19.00: (2.90) Rwanda (3.00) Benin (2.70)

19.00: (35.0) Sao Tome (14.0) Tunisia (1.02)

19.00: (17.0) Zimbabwe (5.20) S.Africa (1.25)

***odds are subject to change***