World Cup qualification shines as new objective for Congo after Africa Cup

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — The World Cup glitters as a new objective for Congo after its elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Algeria substitute Adil Boulbina’s last-gasp extra-time rocket ended Congo’s Africa Cup hopes in the last 16 on Tuesday, but the Leopards’ attention has quickly switched to a bigger prize.

“We must thoroughly analyze what didn’t work because some things didn’t work,” Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said. “And immediately focus on a very, very important objective that awaits us in March.”

Congo can clinch one of the last qualification places for the World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the United States with a win over New Caledonia or Jamaica in a playoff in Mexico on March 31.

“It’s a beautiful competition,” Congo captain Chancel Mbemba said of the Africa Cup. “But we still have a last competition, a final game, if God wants it.”

Mbemba knows all about last-gasp winners as it was his stoppage-time goal that helped defeat Cameroon 1-0 in the African World Cup playoff semifinal.

The Leopards then defeated Nigeria in a penalty shootout – opposition coach Éric Chelle claimed “some voodoo” at work – to advance to the intercontinental playoffs. Mbemba again sealed the win.

Congo has developed into one of the continent’s strongest sides in recent years. It finished second behind unbeaten Senegal in its World Cup qualifying group.

Supported by a living statue of slain independence hero Patrice Lumumba at the Africa Cup, Congo started with a win over Benin, drew with 2021 winner Senegal, then defeated Botswana 3-0 to reach the last 16.

Congo reached the semifinals at the last edition in Ivory Coast, where the players wore black armbands to highlight the armed conflict in the east of the country. Mbemba and forward Cédric Bakambu have also used social media to bring attention to the fighting.

The Congo team’s on-field successes have helped keep international attention on the central African country, and consequently on the humanitarian crisis. World Cup qualification could bring more exposure.

The team has benefitted from the Congolese diaspora across Europe. The 21-year-old Noah Sadiki, born in Brussels, could have played for Belgium but he opted to represent the country of his parents.

“It’s a personal choice,” Sadiki told reporters last week. “I wouldn’t force anyone to choose Congo. I made that decision of my own free will. There’s a new generation that wants to help the people of the country.”

Belgian-born goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo (20) and midfielder Mario Stroeykens (21) also chose Congo.

Experienced French coach Desabre has moulded a committed side that’s proving very hard to beat. Only wayward finishing let the team down against Algeria.

Desabre, who has been in charge since 2022, said stability was key to the team’s development, being allowed the time to put changes in place, for bonds between the players and technical staff to grow, and to recover from setbacks.

“I’m very optimistic for Congolese football because we haven’t yet fully exploited the potential for growth in the academies, the local league, all this local talent that will bring even more strength to Congo in the years to come,” Desabre said before the Algeria game.

The coach said Congo was still behind the likes of Senegal and Cameroon, where players learn vital skills in academies before going on to play in the stronger European leagues.

“I’m very optimistic because there’s still this lever that will become active in Congo and that will make the team even stronger in the years to come,” Desabre said.

But, first, there’s a World Cup ticket up for grabs.

“Every one of us will return, we’ll work. We’ll ask God to keep every player fit. And – if God wants it – in the last match, everything is possible,” Mbemba said.

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations

DR Congo's Michel-Ange Balikwisha, foreground, reacts as Algeria players celebrate their side's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Algeria and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Algeria's Himad Abdelli, bottom, stops DR Congo's Theo Bongonda during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Algeria and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, a DR Congo fan impersonating late Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba poses before the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Algeria and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

DR Congo's Chancel Mbemba, left, and Algeria's Hicham Boudaoui react during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Algeria and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

A supporter of Congo cheers for his national team before the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Algeria and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

HAIL, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Mitch Guthrie became the first driver to win a second stage in the Dakar Rally after Nani Roma was penalized for speeding in the Saudi desert on Thursday.

Guthrie won his first major stage on Tuesday and the American prevailed again on the 371-kilometer second half of the marathon stage from AlUla east to Hail.

Roma thought he'd won his 14th career car stage — one more than he achieved on a motorbike — after four hours by four seconds but a 70-second penalty meant he lost the stage by 66 seconds. Martin Prokop's third place gave Ford the podium sweep.

Henk Lategan, nearly 13 minutes behind the winner, held on to the overall lead in his Toyota but Nasser Al-Attiyah's second-placed Dacia and Mattias Ekström's third-placed Ford closed to less than six minutes behind.

But for a brief time near the end, Lategan opened the way for almost the entire day.

“It was really, really, really difficult, one of the most difficult stages I've had to open,” he said. “There were no bike tracks and a lot of the tracks were really, really small tracks. The rain washed a lot of them away. The last two days you didn't really want to open but Brett did a great job to get us here. For the car to make it through two days of marathon is actually an amazing job by the team seeing that this car was tested for the first time three months ago.”

Roma improved from seventh to fourth and Guthrie from 13th to sixth. They were separated by Ford teammate Carlos Sainz, the four-time champion less than nine minutes off the pace with eight stages to go, including another two-day marathon next week outside Bisha.

Argentine rider Luciano Benavides won the 356-kilometer motorbike stage, emulating his brother Kevin, who won the stage into Hail in 2024.

Hero's Ignacio Cornejo was second, nearly four minutes behind, and defending champion Daniel Sanders third.

Benavides was chasing KTM teammate Edgar Canet, the prologue and stage one winner, until Canet stopped at about 240 kilometers after the foam melted on his rear wheel. Canet lost an hour. He started the day fourth overall but has plunged out of title contention. The same problem affected Ross Branch, who lost over an hour and fell from sixth overall.

Benavides recovered from knee, shoulder and back injuries in October at the Moroccan Rally to line up in his ninth Dakar. Early in Thursday's stage he suffered a high-speed crash but he and his motorbike came through unscathed.

“I'm super, super proud because it was not clear if I would race this Dakar,” Benavides said. “I'm super emotional because I ... suffered quite a lot to be here and get another stage win."

He's at a career-best third in the general standings, six minutes behind teammate Sanders, who regained the lead from Honda's Tosha Schareina and Ricky Brabec.

Brabec was still second, two minutes back but Schareina was penalized 10 minutes for forgetting to leave the bivouac between the flags. He's still fourth overall and only 12 minutes back.

Teammate Adrien van Beveren, third the last two years, was running second in the stage when a wire became stuck in his wheel. He lost 30 minutes and recovered to ninth but was 53 minutes behind overall.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Drivers and co-drivers pack up their tents before the start of the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally between Alula and Hail, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Mathieu Serradori and co-driver Loic Minaudier compete during the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally between Alula and Hail, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Mitch Guthrie, left, and co-driver Kellon Walch talk after the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally between Alula and Hail, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Christian Lavieille and co-driver Valentin Sarreaud compete during the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally between Alula and Hail, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)