Burnley’s Axel Tuanzebe Sends DR Congo to First FIFA World Cup in 52 Years with Extra-Time Winner

The Democratic Republic of Congo secured their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 52 years after defeating Jamaica 1-0, ten minutes into extra time in an intercontinental playoff on Tuesday.

Axel Tuanzebe emerged as the hero on the night, scoring the decisive goal in the 100th minute at the Akron Stadium near Guadalajara to send the African side through to this summer’s finals.

In the build up, the only goal scorer for Congo told BBC that the game was the biggest of his career and the former England youth international, who was born in Bunia, a city affected by the ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo, has now written his name into Congolese football history.

The Burnley defender was in the right place at the right time, using his torso to almost run the ball into the goal after Brian Cipenga's in-swinging corner took a nick off the top of Jamaica defender Joel Latibeaudiere and cannoned into him.

Celebrations were briefly paused as officials checked for a possible handball, but VAR confirmed that the ball had not brushed Tuanzebe's arm.

How did DR Congo dominate early despite Cedric Bakambu’s disallowed goal?

Congo looked the more threatening side from the outset and had the ball in the net within five minutes when Cedric Bakambu finished a low cross from Meschack Elia, only for the effort to be ruled offside.

Bakambu continued to pose problems and soon forced a save from Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake with a looping header.

The forward thought he had found the winner five minutes before the full time whistle, but his goal was disallowed after substitute Theo Bongonda was adjudged to have strayed beyond the last defender in the build up.

Tuanzebe’s strike, his first international goal, ultimately proved decisive as the Leopards completed a remarkable qualification campaign that included eliminating Nigeria and Cameroon to reach the playoff in Mexico.

Jamaica, aiming to qualify for their second World Cup after their appearance at France 1998, were unable to create meaningful chances in search of an equaliser.

The result ensures that the central African nation will return to the World Cup for the first time since the 1974 finals in West Germany, when the team competed as Zaire and suffered defeats to Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil.

Drawn in Group K for this summer’s tournament, Congo will face Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan.

Congo supporters have waited decades for a chance to move past the ghosts of their only previous World Cup campaign, and 110 million people at home, along with a vast global diaspora, will now hope for a better showing than in 1974.