DRC - Uganda: Desabre's Leopards seek revenge this October 5 in Johannesburg

The Democratic Republic of Congo faces Uganda this Monday, October 5, 2026, in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the second of two friendly matches scheduled between the two teams during this international window. Kick-off is set for 5:00 PM Kinshasa time, according to Africa Top Sports.

The Leopards approach this encounter with revenge on their minds. On October 2, in the same city, Uganda won 2-0. The Cranes opened the scoring in the 7th minute through James Bogere, following a defensive error by the Congolese, before doubling their lead in the 49th minute, according to Africa Top Sports and Actualite.cd.

A team under construction

Head coach Sébastien Desabre had significantly reshuffled his starting eleven for this first match, with several dual-nationality players thrown into the deep end. Goalkeeper Dimitri Bertaud was caught out on the opening goal, according to Actualite.cd, which nevertheless described the defeat as "instructive" given the experimental nature of the lineup. On the offensive side, a header from Theo Bongonda went very close, and Stephy Mavididi is among the options put forward by the staff.

Both coaching staffs have announced further rotations for this second act, in order to give playing time to recently integrated players and to correct what was missing three days earlier. This is precisely the purpose of these double-headers: to look at the bench as much as the first-choice team.

Heading towards AFCON 2027

These matches are part of the preparation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which the Confederation of African Football has scheduled from June 19 to July 17, 2027, and which will bring the competition back to East Africa for the first time in over fifty years. Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, the host countries, have automatically qualified: the Cranes can therefore dedicate this entire window to building their squad, without the pressure of qualifiers.

The DR Congo, for its part, still needs to secure its ticket. Every friendly counts double for Desabre, who is looking to stabilize a defensive pairing and an offensive line capable of keeping up with the pace of major continental events. A victory this October 5 in Johannesburg would not solve everything, but it would put the Leopards back on the right track before the resumption of competitive matches.