DR Congo host Sierra Leone on Thursday as they look to maintain their perfect start to the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers.
The Leopards lead Group E after winning their opening two matches and will face the Leone Stars in Kinshasa in the third round of fixtures.
Kick-off at the Stade des Martyrs is scheduled for 17:00 French time, which is also 17:00 in Kinshasa. The match will begin at 18:00 in Lubumbashi.
Viewers in France can watch the game live on beIN Sports 1, while it will be broadcast in DR Congo on RTNC and Canal+ Sport 1.
DR Congo sit alone at the top of Group E, with Zimbabwe three points behind in second place. Sebastien Desabre’s side began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea before beating Zimbabwe 2-1 at the end of September.
A third successive win would leave DR Congo just one match away from securing qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The squad has otherwise remained intact, although Willy Kambwala is unavailable because of injury. The defender has been replaced by TP Mazembe centre-back Magloire Ntambwe Kalonji.
Sierra Leone face difficult task
Sierra Leone arrive at the Stade des Martyrs without a point from their first two games. They lost 2-1 to Zimbabwe and then suffered a 1-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea.
Another loss would leave the Leone Stars almost condemned to missing out, with their hopes of progressing already under serious pressure.
DR Congo have also dominated the recent head-to-head record. Since 2014, they have won all three of their meetings with Sierra Leone.
The Blue, Red and Yellow recorded two victories against the Leone Stars during qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, winning 0-2 and 3-1 in Kinshasa. Their most recent meeting ended in a 3-0 friendly victory for DR Congo in Casablanca, Morocco, on 27 September 2022.
Sebastien Desabre’s team will therefore be aiming to extend that sequence while taking another significant step towards qualification.