D.R. Congo begin AFCON qualifiers with comfortable home victory

[p]Captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbemba-chancel/U5hu6oJh/"]Chancel Mbemba[/a] headed home ‌the opening goal in the fourth minute, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wissa-yoane/b35gWzB2/"]‌Yoane Wissa[/a] added a second 18 minutes from time in ‌Kinshasa on Thursday, although the scoreline might have been ‌more emphatic after they twice struck the woodwork and also had two efforts ruled offside.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/d-r-congo-phn9mm8H/equatorial-guinea-vN7WWxY0/?mid=0UbfvEM0"]It was the first game for the Congolese[/a] ‌after advancing through the first phase of ⁠the World Cup for ‌the first time and running [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] close in their last-32 ​tie in Atlanta in July.[/p][p]However, there was no opportunity for home supporters to celebrate their achievement as ​the size of the crowd at the Stade des Martyrs was restricted to 20,000 after sanctions for fan violence that ⁠followed defeat by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/senegal/hOIsJLJr/"]​Senegal[/a] in World Cup qualification one year ago.[/p][embed guid="9d6fed71-2f9f-41b7-a961-4d7a789a3a54" url="https://x.com/FecofaRdc/status/2103191870528532792" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mauritania/Q5QPxhPn/"]Mauritania[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/namibia/QLENxLuR/"]Namibia[/a] were also winners in Thursday's early games, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/libya/zm8nIuZl/"]Libya[/a] netted a last-gasp penalty to salvage a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/botswana-naNvXTwI/libya-zm8nIuZl/?mid=E9CIgmNt"]2-2[/a] draw at ‌home to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/botswana/naNvXTwI/"]Botswana[/a] behind closed doors in Tripoli, where the stadium was also banned because of previous supporter violence.[/p][p]Botswana striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/orebonye-tumisang/OY4Yiy9c/"]Tumisang Orebonye[/a] scored a double in the first half to put his side on course for a rare away win before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alhibeeshi-maruwan/pC2HrDjd/"]Maruwan Alhibeeshi[/a] thrashed home from the edge of the area to pull one back in the 87th minute.[/p][p]Botswana substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cooper-mothusi/EB7MbHcG/"]Mothusi Cooper[/a] gave away a stoppage-time ‌penalty with a clumsy challenge, allowing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/el-mariamy-ezzedinne/Czna3W7E/"]Ezoo El Mariamy[/a] ​to rescue a draw.[/p][p]Mauritania won [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/central-africa-MiKwAcg9/mauritania-Q5QPxhPn/?mid=hrht73d4"]3-1[/a] over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/central-africa/MiKwAcg9/"]Central ‌African Republic[/a] in Casablanca, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a], which included a superb chipped effort over the goalkeeper from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/camara-dawda/pU3k4HTm/"]Dawda Camara[/a], while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muzeu-bethuel/p2Tiw394/"]Betuel Muzeu[/a] scored the only goal as Namibia edged [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/congo/8MPhk9w5/"]Congo[/a].[/p][p]Later on Thursday, World Cup competitors [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ghana/nNBjHale/"]Ghana[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]⁠Ivory Coast[/a] play a derby ⁠in Bouake, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cameroon/zk1uVG2D/"]Cameroon[/a] ‌host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/comoros/QLUC9wv3/"]Comoros[/a].[/p]