Yoane Wissa scored the first goal and created the second as the Democratic Republic of Congo

Yoane Wissa scored the first goal and created the second as the Democratic Republic of Congo

Yoane Wissa scored the first goal and created the second as the Democratic Republic of Congo spoilt a Zimbabwe homecoming by winning a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier 2-1 in Harare on Monday. The 30-year-old Newcastle United striker struck on 30 minutes, poking a loose ball into the net after goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze allowed a cross to slip from his grasp. DR Congo, last-32 losers to England at the 2026 World Cup, went further ahead in first-half added time when a Wissa pass sent Samuel Moutoussamy through to score.

Yoane Wissa scored the first goal and created the second as the Democratic Republic of Congo spoilt a Zimbabwe homecoming by winning a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier 2-1 in Harare on Monday.

Wissa could have finished with a hat-trick. His first-half shot beat Chipezeze only to trickle narrowly wide and he struck the woodwork just past the hour. Central African Republic are another ‘homeless’ nation. Aboubacar Camara netted the second-half winner. Tunisia looked set for a first competitive win this year when Hazem Mastouri scored either side of half-time after Botswana had taken the lead.

After being outplayed in the opening half by a team 89 places higher in the world rankings, Zimbabwe improved after half-time and Marshall Munetsi scored a 93rd-minute consolation goal. It was the third goal by Munetsi, from English second-tier club Wolverhampton Wanderers, after a brace in a dramatic 3-2 away win over Sierra Leone last week. A first-minute goal from Loren Zuniga earned Equatorial Guinea a 1-0 win over Sierra Leone in Cameroon capital Yaounde. They fell 1-0 to Burkina Faso in Group F in Moroccan commercial hub Casablanca.