DR Congo vs Benin Tips & Preview - Leopards to have the edge in opening Group D clash

By Tolu Shotade

22 Dec 2025

Tolu Shotade 22 Dec 2025

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DR Congo have won four of their last five matches and are aiming for a strong start against Benin.
Benin's recent challenges include a lack of goals and defensive instability.
Head-to-head favors DR Congo, unbeaten in their previous two encounters.

DR Congo vs Benin

DR Congo face Benin in their opening Group D fixture at the Africa Cup of Nations, with both teams keen to make positive starts.

The Leopards are former champions of the AFCON and will be keen to reclaim past glory. They have been in good form lately and should have the upper hand over the Beninoise, who are looking off colour at the moment.

DR Congo News

DR Congo have won two AFCON titles, although the last of them came way back in 1976. They have been on the rise again in recent times and reached the semi-final in the previous edition.

The Leopards have been on the rise lately, winning four of their last five matches across all competitions, including a 2-0 victory over Zambia in a pre-tournament friendly. Sebastien Desabre’s team are also closing in on a first-ever World Cup appearance after beating Nigeria on penalties to reach the Intercontinental playoffs.

DR Congo’s form appears to be driven by a solid defence that kept four clean sheets in six fixtures during the AFCON qualifiers. They have also kept clean sheets in four of their last five matches across all competitions.

Benin News

Benin made their first-ever AFCON appearance in 2004 and are set to feature in their fourth tournament. Their best showing was a quarter-final berth in 2019, while they failed to make the last two editions.

Qualification was far from smooth for Benin, who finished second in their group after picking up just two wins from six matches. Their recent form has also been unconvincing, having lost their last two matches across all competitions.

The last outing for Benin was a friendly back in November as they fell to a 4-0 defeat to Burkina Faso. That result highlights recent attacking problems for Gernot Rohr’s team, who have failed to score in four of their last seven matches across all competitions.

Head to Head

The only two previous meetings between DR Congo and Benin came during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The Leopards were unbeaten in both fixtures, playing out a 1-1 away draw in the first clash before winning 2-0 at home in the reverse fixture

Verdict

DR Congo v Benin

DR Congo have never lost to Benin and also come into this clash with four wins in their last five matches. They should get the better of the Beninoise, who appear out of sorts at the moment.

Benin often struggle in attack, and DR Congo are expected to continue their recent trend of clean sheets. Having won to nil in four of their last five matches, the Leopards could be set for a repeat here.

DR Congo

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