DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre is hoping to achieve the goal he set for the team three and a half years ago when they face Jamaica at the Estadio Akron in the 2026 World Cup inter-continental playoff final on Tuesday, 31 March.
Kick-off is at 11pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).
Current form:
Desabre took charge of the Leopards after the 2022 edition in Qatar and immediately made an impact as he guided them to fourth place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Desabre's side didn't do nearly as well at AFCON 2025, having exited the tournament in the round of 16, but the Frenchman's main objective has always been the global showpiece in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The Central Africans narrowly missed out on automatic qualification after finishing two points behind Senegal in Group B with a record of seven wins, one draw and two losses.
DR Congo then had to navigate the second round which saw them beat regional rivals Cameroon 1-0 in the semifinals before they overcame Nigeria 4-3 on penalties in the final.
The Leopards warmed up for the crunch clash in Zapopan with a 2-0 victory over Bermuda on March 25.
The Reggae Boyz came even closer to winning their group after being pipped to top spot by Curacao by a single point, having lost just one of their 10 games in qualifying.
Rudolph Speid's side edged New Caledonia 1-0 in the inter-continental playoff semifinals on March 26 to book a date with DR Congo.
What was said:
DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre
"We're really fired up. We're still on course to meet our main objective. That's the goal we set ourselves when I took this job three and a half years ago. This final will be our 13th match since our qualifying campaign began.
"We're lucky enough to have talented players who ply their trade at top clubs. Above all, everyone has really bought into the project we've been building together. Everyone is pulling in the same direction to achieve a common goal.
"We can make it tough for our opponents because we play as a unit: our forwards track back, our defenders push forward, and everyone pulls together, as if they were soldiers going into battle for their country."
Players to watch:
DR Congo: Cedric Bakambu is vastly experienced as the oldest player in the current squad at the age of 34. The Real Betis striker is just one goal behind Dieumerci Mbokani, who is their country's all-time leading scorer with 22 goals.
Bakambu played a key role in qualifying after finding the back of the net four times in seven group games, while also two assists and another against the Super Eagles in the CAF playoff final.
Jamaica: Leon Bailey has struggled with injuries recently which saw him miss the entire third-round qualifiers, but he's back in the squad and featured in the win over New Caledonia last week.
The 28-year-old winger is also back in the Aston Villa team, having been recalled from his loan at Roma due to an injury crisis and he'll be hoping to rediscover his best form against the Leopards.