World Cup
Last Chance to World Cup 2026: DRC Leopards Seek Redemption, Jamaica Reggae Boyz Chase History in Intercontinental Play-off
By Kunle Solaja
Some matches define careers, and then there are matches that attempt to rewrite history. This Tuesday’s intercontinental World Cup play-off between DR Congo and Jamaica falls firmly into the latter category—a collision of ambition, memory, and unfinished business.
For the Congolese, this is more than a football match. It is a 90-minute opportunity to correct a narrative that has lingered painfully for over half a century.
A 52-Year Wait for Redemption
The last and only time DR Congo, then known as Zaire, appeared at the World Cup was in 1974 in West Germany. It remains one of the most misunderstood campaigns in football history.
DR Congo, as Zaire crumble to a 9-0 defeat against Yugoslavia in 1974.
That same year, the world watched Muhammad Ali defeat George Foreman in the iconic Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, while political upheaval in the United States saw Richard Nixon resign over Watergate. Against that global backdrop, Zaire’s World Cup journey descended into chaos.
A 2-0 defeat to Scotland was respectable. But what followed—a 9-0 thrashing by Yugoslavia and a 3-0 loss to Brazil—etched the team into global football folklore for the wrong reasons.
The enduring image remains Mwepu Ilunga charging out of the defensive wall to blast the ball away before a Brazilian free kick—an act widely mocked at the time but later understood to have deeper roots, including alleged unpaid bonuses and internal tensions.
“We were not a bad team,” goalkeeper Mohamed Kalambay would later insist. History, however, has not always been kind.
A New Generation, A Different Story
Now, a new generation of Congolese players stands on the brink of rewriting that legacy. “This is the biggest game of my career,” said defender Axel Tuanzebe, echoing the sentiments of millions back home and across a vast diaspora estimated at over 110 million people. Former captain Gabriel Zakuani has gone even further, calling it “the biggest game in our history.”
DR Congo players seek a return to the World Cup after a 52-year absence
Victory would not only end a 52-year absence—it would also secure Africa a symbolic 10th representative at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. More importantly, it would offer DR Congo the chance to return not as participants, but as competitors determined to erase the ghosts of 1974.
Jamaica’s Own Dream of Return
Standing in their way are the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica—a team with its own history of longing and resurgence.
Jamaica’s only World Cup appearance came in 1998 in France, where they famously defeated Japan 2-1 to record their first—and so far only—World Cup win.
Since then, the Caribbean side has flirted with qualification but fallen short. This play-off represents their clearest path back to the global stage in nearly three decades.
Blending Europe-based professionals with emerging local talent, Jamaica arrive with pace, physicality, and a fearless approach—traits that could trouble the Leopards if not carefully managed.
Tactical Battle and Stakes
On paper, DR Congo may carry the edge in defensive organisation and experience, particularly with players like Tuanzebe anchoring the backline. Their midfield discipline and structured approach could prove decisive in a high-pressure encounter.
Jamaica, however, will look to stretch the game, using speed on the flanks and direct attacking transitions to unsettle their opponents.
But beyond tactics, this match will likely be decided by temperament.
For DR Congo, the weight of history could either inspire or suffocate. For Jamaica, the opportunity is simpler: seize the moment and return to a stage they have long missed.
More Than Qualification
Awaiting the winner is a place in a World Cup group alongside Portugal, Uzbekistan, and Colombia—a challenging but navigable path for a team willing to dream beyond participation.
As Zakuani put it, the objective is not merely to attend, but to compete and “create history.”
For DR Congo, history is something to be reclaimed.
For Jamaica, it is something to be rediscovered.
On Tuesday, one of them will take a decisive step toward rewriting their football story.
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South Africa can create a few surprises at this year’s World Cup as they will go into the tournament as an unknown factor, coach Hugo Broos said on Monday.
South Africa return to the World Cup for the first time since the country hosted the finals in 2010 and play in the opening game on June 11 against co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
They also take on South Korea in Group A and the winners of Tuesday’s playoff between the Czech Republic and Denmark.
“When we are at our best level, with the quality in this team, then we can make some surprises in the World Cup,” the veteran Belgian coach said ahead of a World Cup warm-up friendly against Panama on Tuesday.
“We are also a team that not too many people know, so that could be good for us,” he added.
Broos said even though the team had qualified for the tournament after a long absence, their ambitions were to make an impact and go as far as they could.
“For me, it’s not enough to be there, and I should be very, very disappointed if the performances are not what I think they can be,” said the former Belgium international.
“I don’t really have to push the players because they also want to show themselves at the World Cup. I know their mentality, I know the hunger they have, to do something at the World Cup.”
South Africa previously qualified for the 1998 and 2002 finals and were hosts in 2010 but have returned disappointing results since.
But they finished ahead of Nigeria in their qualifying group to win one of the nine African places at the finals in Canada, Mexico, and U.S.
“I think what South Africa needs is interest from abroad, but you only get that interest when you participate in big tournaments,” Broos said.
“After we finished third at the (2023) Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, suddenly there was interest in players of the national team, and that is most important so that they can move abroad.”
South Africa’s squad is made up mainly of locally based players, in contrast to other African sides competing at the World Cup, most of whom have squads of players based at foreign clubs, mainly in Europe.
-Reuters
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Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso dismissed concerns over pitch conditions and the atmosphere his side would face in Bosnia for their World Cup playoff final, saying he had never conceded a goal to a fan.
Gattuso carries the weight of Italian football on his shoulders as his team bids to reach the finals for the first time since 2014. After beating Northern Ireland at home in the semi-final, Italy now take on Bosnia away in Zenica on Tuesday.
Italy were forced into a change of plans after snow and rain led to fears over pitch conditions in Bosnia, and trained in Florence on Monday morning before travelling.
“It’s an excuse. If the pitch is bad, it’s bad for both teams, the match still has to be played,” Gattuso told reporters.
“If we start thinking about the pitch, the stands… no, that’s weak. I’ve seen the pitch and it’s fine. Honestly, even if it were bad, there’s little we could do.
“The respect we have for Bosnia is enormous, for what they show on the pitch. As for the fans, they don’t score goals, that’s never happened to me.”
Gattuso replaced Luciano Spalletti early in the qualification campaign after defeat to Norway had already compromised their ambitions.
LESS PRETTY, MORE SOLID
Despite a far from perfect performance against Northern Ireland, the manager has seen plenty of improvements since taking charge.
“Tactically, the other night we got it wrong,” Gattuso said.
“Seven months ago we were not this team. We suffered against opponents, they reached our goal easily, they created chances. At the beginning we conceded ridiculous goals, we were fragile, we struggled to hold our shape.
“Maybe we didn’t play ultra‑offensive football and maybe we were less brilliant, but right now I prefer a team that is solid, that suffers less, even if it means being less pretty.”
Italy last lifted the World Cup in 2006, and Gattuso, who played in that team, wants to see the same spirit in this side.
“We will go out there with desire and aggression. That’s the most important aspect of our footballing history,” he said.
“We became champions not because we were the strongest, but because of our competitive edge and our ability to suffer.”
“People said there was no pride in this team, that nobody cared, but I see it every day, and I sincerely hope, not for myself, but for these lads, that we reach this objective.
“I’m proud of them, I’m happy with them, even if things go badly. I hope they don’t.”
And if things were to go badly?
“This isn’t the right moment to talk about it,” Gattuso said.
“It would be a disappointment, a heavy blow. I would have to take responsibility because I am the coach, but we’ll talk about that afterwards.
“There are people whose job it is to decide what will happen. My thoughts, I keep to myself.”
-Reuters
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Poland enter Tuesday’s World Cup playoff final against Sweden seeking to end a winless run on Swedish soil that stretches back nearly a century.
The match at the sold-out Strawberry Arena in Solna is a winner-takes-all clash for a place in the tournament finals in North America and for Poland, it offers a chance to end a dismal sequence of results, having not won in Sweden since a 3-0 friendly victory in Stockholm in 1930.
Since then, Poland have endured eight losses and two draws in Sweden.
“It depends on whether we look at the statistics,” Poland coach Jan Urban told reporters earlier in the week when asked if the winless streak would have an impact on Tuesday’s match. “Apparently, it has been nearly 100 years since we won a match in Sweden. This will be a completely different encounter.”
While Sweden hold the historical edge, Poland can draw confidence from more recent events.
The two nations met in the 2022 World Cup playoffs, with Poland earning a 2-0 victory at home in Chorzów to secure their spot in Qatar.
SWEDEN HIT FORM
After a disappointing qualifying campaign, Sweden are showing signs of improvement under new coach Graham Potter, beating Ukraine 3-1 in their playoff semi-final , while Poland fought to a 2-1 win over Albania.
“On paper, Sweden are the strongest team in this bracket,” Urban told reporters on Monday. “Potter’s team confirmed their quality against Ukraine, but many unknowns remain. We don’t yet know how they will behave in a more difficult scenario – for example, if they are trailing.”
The match could mark the end of an era for Poland’s experienced core.
Captain Robert Lewandowski, 37, has indicated he is approaching the final stage of his career, while midfielder Piotr Zielinski, 31, remains a key figure.
“I’m not afraid to end my career because I’m starting to prepare for it, to prepare things I can do after football,” Lewandowski said in January. “I know it’s a very important part of my life, but it’s not everything.
Failure to qualify would likely trigger an immediate overhaul of the national side, signalling the end for a generation that made Poland a fixture at major tournaments.
“The World Cup is the most important tournament in every footballer’s career. Tomorrow we’ll play a decisive match to fulfil our dreams and write more history,” winger Jakub Kaminski said.
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