Congo national football team facts for kids
Nickname(s) | Ba Diabulu ya Mbwaki (The Red Devils) |
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Association | Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) | |||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | |||
Sub-confederation | UNIFFAC (Central Africa) | |||
Head coach | Isaac Ngata (Interim) | |||
Captain | Amour Loussoukou | |||
Most caps | Jonas Bahamboula Delvin N'Dinga (56) |
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Top scorer | Thievy Bifouma (16) | |||
Home stadium | Stade ya mbanza Kintélé Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat |
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FIFA code | CGO | |||
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FIFA ranking | ||||
Current | 84 ![]() |
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Highest | 42 (September 2015) | |||
Lowest | 144 (September 2011) | |||
Elo ranking | ||||
Current | 106 ![]() |
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Highest | 37 (July 1972) | |||
Lowest | 133 (4 September 2011) | |||
First international | ||||
![]() ![]() (Middle Congo; 1954) |
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Biggest win | ||||
![]() ![]() (Congo; 28 March 1964) ![]() ![]() (Libreville, Gabon; 7 July 1976) |
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Biggest defeat | ||||
![]() ![]() (Antananarivo, Madagascar; 18 April 1960) |
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Africa Cup of Nations | ||||
Appearances | 7 (first in 1968) | |||
Best result | Champions (1972) | |||
Jordan International Tournament | ||||
Appearances | 1 (first in 1992) | |||
Best result | Fourth place (1992) |
The Congo national football team represents the Republic of the Congo in men's association football. The team is managed by the Congolese Football Federation. They are often called Ba Diabulu ya Mbwaki, which means "The Red Devils".
Even though they have never played in the FIFA World Cup, the team won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1972. They also won the All-Africa Games football tournament in 1965. The team is a member of both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Contents
History of the Congo Football Team
The Congo national football team played its first game in February 1960. It was a friendly match against the Ivory Coast, which they lost 4–2. In April 1960, they won their first game against Reunion with a score of 4–1. They then beat the Ivory Coast 3–2. However, they lost to Cameroon and Madagascar in later matches.
In April 1963, Congo played in another friendly competition in Senegal. They won against the Ivory Coast (3–2), their neighbor Democratic Republic of Congo (2–1), and Mauritania (11–0).
In July 1965, Congo hosted the 1965 All-Africa Games. They played against Mali, Uganda, and Togo. They reached the semi-finals and beat the Ivory Coast 1–0. In the final, they drew 0–0 with Mali but won the tournament because they had more corner kicks. This was a big win for the team!
Congo played their first non-African team on January 11, 1967, beating Romania 1–0. They then qualified for their first Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1968. The finals were held in Ethiopia. Congo lost all their group matches and were knocked out.
In 1972, Congo achieved their biggest success by winning the African Cup of Nations. They beat host Cameroon 1–0 in the semi-final. Then, they won the championship by defeating Mali 3–2. A famous player from that team was François M'Pelé, who later played for PSG.
In the qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup, Congo almost made it to the final tournament. They won home games against Zambia, DR Congo, and South Africa. However, they lost their last match 1–0 away to South Africa and were eliminated.
In February 2025, FIFA temporarily stopped Congo from playing in international competitions. This was due to issues with how the FECOFOOT (Congo's football governing body) was being run.
Recent Matches
Here are some of the recent match results for the Congo national football team.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024 Matches
6 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Congo ![]() |
0–3 Awarded |
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Kinshasa, DR Congo |
17:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Stade des Martyrs |
11 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Congo ![]() |
0–6 | ![]() |
Agadir, Morocco |
17:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Adrar Stadium Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Daniel Nii Laryea (Ghana) |
5 September 2024 2025 AFCON qualification | Congo ![]() |
1–0 | ![]() |
Brazzaville, Congo |
17:00 UTC+1 | Massanga ![]() |
Stadium: Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat Referee: Celso Armindo Alvação (Mozambique) |
9 September 2024 2025 AFCON qualification | Uganda ![]() |
2–0 | ![]() |
Kampala, Uganda |
19:00 UTC+3 | Stadium: Mandela National Stadium Attendance: 38,000 Referee: Mehrez Malki (Tunisia) |
11 October 2024 2025 AFCON qualification | South Africa ![]() |
5–0 | ![]() |
Gqeberha, South Africa |
20:00 UTC+2 | Stadium: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania) |
15 October 2024 2025 AFCON qualification | Congo ![]() |
1–1 | ![]() |
Brazzaville, Congo |
17:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat Referee: Mahmood Ali Mahmood Ismail (Sudan) |
14 November 2024 2025 AFCON qualification | South Sudan ![]() |
3–2 | ![]() |
Juba, South Sudan |
14:00 UTC+2 | Stadium: Juba Stadium Referee: Aklesso Gnama (Togo) |
19 November 2024 2025 AFCON qualification | Congo ![]() |
0–1 | ![]() |
Brazzaville, Congo |
13:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Mohamed Maarouf Eid Mansour (Egypt) |
2025 Matches
17 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Tanzania ![]() |
3–0 Awarded |
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TBD, Tanzania |
24 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Congo ![]() |
0–3 Awarded |
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TBD, Congo |
1 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Congo ![]() |
v | ![]() |
TBD, Congo |
8 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Congo ![]() |
Canceled | ![]() |
TBD, Congo |
6 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Niger ![]() |
v | ![]() |
TBD, Niger |
13 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Morocco ![]() |
v | ![]() |
TBD, Morocco |
Team Coaches
The current head coach for the Congo national football team is Isaac Ngata. He works with a team of assistant coaches, a goalkeeping coach, and a fitness coach.
Position | Name |
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Head coach | ![]() |
Assistant coaches | ![]() ![]() |
Goalkeeping coach | ![]() |
Fitness coach | ![]() |
Current Players
Here are the players who were recently called up for the Congo national football team.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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GK | Trey Vimalin | 28 January 2001 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
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GK | Marly Prince Heritier | 10 April 1999 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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GK | Chelcy Bonazebi | 18 May 2006 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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GK | David Opoundja | 3 April 1998 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Ryan Bidounga | 29 April 1997 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Bryan Passi | 5 August 1997 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Morgan Poaty | 15 July 1997 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Ramaric Etou | 25 May 1995 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Loïs Fauriel | 17 July 2002 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Christ Makosso | 9 May 2004 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Janard Berlohd Mbemba | 6 March 2002 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Harvy Ossété | 18 August 1999 | 31 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Merveil Ndockyt | 20 July 1998 | 27 | 1 | ![]() |
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MF | Gaius Makouta | 25 July 1997 | 24 | 2 | ![]() |
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MF | Fred Dembi | 21 February 1995 | 12 | 1 | ![]() |
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MF | Chandrel Massanga | 17 August 1999 | 12 | 1 | ![]() |
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MF | Nolan Mbemba | 19 February 1995 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Glid Otanga | 14 August 2000 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Prestige Mboungou | 10 July 2000 | 31 | 2 | ![]() |
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FW | Silvère Ganvoula | 29 June 1996 | 24 | 6 | ![]() |
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FW | Mons Bassouamina | 28 May 1998 | 13 | 2 | ![]() |
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FW | Yann Mabella | 22 February 1996 | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Christopher Ibayi | 18 July 1995 | 3 | 2 | ![]() |
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FW | Jason Bahamboula | 15 June 2001 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Archange Bintsouka | 25 October 2002 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Elie Andzouono | 2 January 2002 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Beni Namboka | unknown | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
Team Records
These tables show the players with the most games played and the most goals scored for the Congo national team.
Most Games Played
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Jonas Bahamboula | 56 | 13 | 1969–1982 |
Delvin N'Dinga | 56 | 1 | 2008–2021 | |
3 | Destin Makita | 55 | 1 | 2001–2013 |
4 | Barel Mouko | 51 | 1 | 2004–2018 |
5 | Magnoléké Bissiki | 45 | 0 | 2012–2021 |
6 | Oscar Ewolo | 44 | 2 | 2000–2013 |
7 | Prince Oniangué | 43 | 8 | 2008–2019 |
8 | Thievy Bifouma | 41 | 16 | 2014–present |
Francis N'Ganga | 41 | 3 | 2008–2017 | |
10 | Christoffer Mafoumbi | 38 | 0 | 2012–present |
Brice Samba | 38 | 0 | 1990–2001 |
Top Goal Scorers
Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Thievy Bifouma | 16 | 41 | 0.39 | 2014–present |
2 | Jonas Bahamboula | 13 | 56 | 0.23 | 1969–1982 |
3 | François M'Pelé | 12 | 29 | 0.41 | 1971–1978 |
4 | Paul Moukila | 11 | 31 | 0.35 | 1970–1978 |
5 | Anges Ngapy | 10 | 33 | 0.3 | 1984–1993 |
Férébory Doré | 10 | 37 | 0.27 | 2010–2017 | |
7 | Jean-Jacques N'Domba | 8 | 35 | 0.23 | 1974–1992 |
Prince Oniangué | 8 | 43 | 0.19 | 2008–2019 | |
9 | Kader Bidimbou | 5 | 13 | 0.38 | 2014–present |
Guy Mbenza | 5 | 21 | 0.24 | 2017–present | |
Rolf-Christel Guié-Mien | 5 | 25 | 0.2 | 1996–2008 | |
Hardy Binguila | 5 | 29 | 0.17 | 2013–present | |
Silvère Ganvoula | 5 | 29 | 0.17 | 2014–present | |
Fabrice Ondama | 5 | 37 | 0.14 | 2006–2017 |
Competition History
Congo has played in many important football tournaments. Here's how they've done in some of them.
FIFA World Cup
Congo has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
1930 to 1958 | Part of ![]() |
Part of ![]() |
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as ![]() |
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Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | ||||||||||||||
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Entry not accepted by FIFA | Entry not accepted by FIFA | ||||||||||||||
as ![]() |
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Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
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4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
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as ![]() |
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Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||
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8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | ||||||||||
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10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 17 | ||||||||||
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12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 15 | ||||||||||
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6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||
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8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 4 | ||||||||||
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8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 16 | ||||||||||
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6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | ||||||||||
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Suspended | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 | |||||||||
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To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
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Total | 0/15 | 71 | 21 | 16 | 34 | 77 | 105 |
Africa Cup of Nations
Congo won the Africa Cup of Nations once, in 1972.
Africa Cup of Nations record | ||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
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Part of ![]() |
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Played as ![]() |
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Not affiliated to CAF | |||||||
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Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
Played as ![]() |
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Did not enter | |||||||
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Winners | 1st | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
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Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Did not enter | |||||||
Played as ![]() |
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Quarter-finals | 5th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Group stage | 11th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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To be determined | |||||||
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Total | 1 Title | 7/35 | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 27 | 37 |
African Games
Congo won the gold medal in football at the African Games in 1965.
African Games record | ||||||||
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Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
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Gold | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | |
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6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | |
Total | 2/4 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 13 |
Team Achievements
The Congo national football team has won several important tournaments.
Continental Titles
- CAF African Cup of Nations
- African Games
Regional Titles
- CEMAC Cup
- UDEAC Championship
- Central African Games
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol del Congo para niños