Congo DR national football team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nickname(s) | The Leopards | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association |
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| Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
| Head coach |  Patrice Neveu |
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| Top scorer | Shabani Nonda (19) | ||
| Home stadium | Stade des Martyrs | ||
| FIFA code | COD | ||
| FIFA ranking | 102 | ||
| Highest FIFA ranking | 51 (September 2003) | ||
| Lowest FIFA ranking | 102 (July 2009) | ||
| Elo ranking | 93 | ||
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| First international | |||
 Belgian Congo 3-2 Northern Rhodesia  (Belgian Congo; 1948) |
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| Biggest win | |||
 Congo DR 10 - 1 Zambia  (Kinshasa, Congo DR; 22 November 1969) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
 Yugoslavia 9 - 0 Zaire  (Gelsenkirchen, Germany; 18 June 1974) |
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| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (First in 1974) | ||
| Best result | Round 1, 1974 | ||
| African Nations Cup | |||
| Appearances | 15 (First in 1965) | ||
| Best result | Winners, 1968 and 1974 | ||
The Congo DR national football team, nicknamed The Leopards, is the national team of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association. The national football team has gone under a number of names in the past. From 1948-1960 it was the Belgian Congo, from 1960-1963 Congo-Leopoldville, from 1963-1971 Congo-Kinshasa and from 1971-1997 Zaire. In 1974, as Zaire, they were the first black African team to qualify for the World Cup.
The team won two African Nations Cups: one as Congo DR (or Congo-Kinshasa) in 1968 and one as Zaire in 1974.
In 2006 the team was close to qualifying for its 2nd World Cup appearance after they finished 2nd, and 5 points behind leaders Ghana in qualifying.
Contents |
[edit] Congo DR football achievements
- Central African Games : 1 Time Champion
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- (1981 as Zaire)
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- African Nations Cup : 2 Time Champion
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- (1968; 1974 (as Zaire))
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- World Cup Appearance(s) : 1 Time
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- (1974 as Zaire)
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- African Championship of Nations : 1 Time Champion
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- (2009)
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[edit] World Cup record
- 1930 to 1966 - Did not enter
- 1970 - Entry not accepted by FIFA (as Zaire)
- 1974 - Round 1 (as Zaire)
- 1978 - Withdrew (as Zaire)
- 1982 - Did not qualify (as Zaire)
- 1986 - Did not enter (as Zaire)
- 1990 to 2010 - Did not qualify (three as Zaire)
[edit] African Nations Cup record
- 1957 to 1963 - Did not enter
- 1965 - Round 1
- 1968 - Champions
- 1970 - Round 1
- 1972 - Fourth place (as Zaire)
- 1974 - Champions (as Zaire)
- 1976 - Round 1 (as Zaire)
- 1978 - Did not enter
- 1980 - Did not qualify
- 1982 - Did not qualify
- 1984 - Withdrew
- 1986 - Did not qualify
- 1988 - Round 1 (as Zaire)
- 1990 - Did not qualify
- 1992 - Quarterfinals (as Zaire)
- 1994 - Quarterfinals (as Zaire)
- 1996 - Quarterfinals (as Zaire)
- 1998 - Third place (started qualification as Zaire)
- 2000 - Round 1
- 2002 - Quarterfinals
- 2004 - Round 1
- 2006 - Quarterfinals
- 2008 - Did not qualify
- 2010 - Did not qualify
[edit] List of Coaches
[edit] Trivia
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (September 2007) |
- Facing a free-kick 25 yards out during the 1974 World Cup finals match against Brazil, defender Mwepu Ilunga, upon hearing the referee blow his whistle, ran out of the Zaire wall and booted the ball upfield, for which he received a yellow card. This was voted the 17th greatest World Cup moment in a Channel 4 poll [1].
- Ndaya Mulamba still holds the record for most goals scored in a single African Cup of Nations tournament. (9 goals in 1974)
- Three players based in the English Premier League were born in Congo, although all have chosen to play international football for their adopted countries: Claude Makelele, (France), Leroy Lita (who has not won a cap for the England first team but has played for the under-21's) and José Bosingwa (Portugal). Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda was also born in Congo but decided to play for France, though his younger brother Parfait Mandanda plays for the team.
