The Anthem
Debout Congolais (Arise, Congolese)
▶ Listen on YouTube ↗“Debout Congolais, unis par le sort… / Arise, Congolese, united by fate…”
First adopted at independence in 1960, restored as the anthem in 1997.
The Legends
Names that echo
Pierre Ndaye Mulamba
Forward · 1970s
Set a long-standing record for goals at a single Africa Cup of Nations, which Zaire won in 1974.
Chancel Mbemba
Defender · 2010s–20s
Commanding captain and a record-breaker at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Cédric Bakambu
Forward · 2010s–20s
Well-travelled striker and a leader of the modern Leopards.
Fun Facts
Worth knowing
- 01
As Zaire in 1974, the country became the first Sub-Saharan African nation ever to play at a World Cup.
- 02
That tournament gave football one of its most-replayed oddities: defender Mwepu Ilunga charging out of the wall to boot away a Brazilian free kick.
- 03
The mighty Congo River is the deepest in the world and the second-largest by discharge.
At the World Cup
The story so far
A pioneer returning from the wilderness. As Zaire, it broke ground in 1974 as Sub-Saharan Africa's first World Cup team; in 2026 the Leopards end a 52-year absence to write a brand-new chapter.
A continental first — and a famous mix-up
Zaire's pioneering run is best remembered for Mwepu Ilunga's bewildering dash from the defensive wall against Brazil.
Group Stage