March 24, (THEWILL) – In their first win of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group I, DR Congo defeated Mauritania 3-1 at the Japoma Stadium in Cameroon on Friday.
Mauritania initially managed to contain the Leopards in the opening exchanges, but their defense weakened after Idrissa Thiam’s dismissal in the 22nd minute. DR Congo increased their tempo towards the halftime break, with Gael Kakuta scoring the opening goal in the 37th minute and Cedric Bakambu netting another just five minutes later, making the score 2-0 going into halftime.
The Lions of Chinguetti returned from the halftime break energised and attacked in numbers, with Ali Abeid scoring in the 55th minute to bring the score to 2-1. However, DR Congo took advantage of Mauritania’s lapse in defense in the 67th minute, allowing Arthur Masuaku to score the final goal, securing their 3-1 win over Mauritania, who suffered their first defeat in Group I.
Despite the victory, the Leopards remained in fourth place on the group standings, with second-placed Mauritania just one point ahead of them. The two teams will meet again at the Stade Cheikha Ould Boïdiya in Nouakchott on Wednesday.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
