Players for the Democratic Republic of Congo are set to be heavily rewarded for their efforts qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer.
Following wins over Cameroon and Nigeria, former Man Utd defender, Axel Tuanzebe, prodded home extra-time to beat Jamaica and secure DR Congo's first spot at a World Cup in 52 years.
The last time was in 1974 in Germany, when the nation was known as 'Zaire', with their participation making them the first sub-Saharan African team to reach the tournament.
Due to their historic achievement, the squad returned directly to the nation's capital of Kinshasa, to celebrate with President Felix Tshisekedi, who organised a special ceremony.
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In the ceremony, Tshisekedi announced the squad would be rewarded with life-changing gifts, with every player receiving a brand new Jeep, a cash bonus and a plot of land.
He also insisted that this success should not be a flash in the pan, stressing he wants to see his nation in many future World Cup's to come.
“From now on, participation in the World Cup must be a regular occurrence," he said at the ceremony.
The African nation will begin their journey against Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo set to available after FIFA overturned a three-match ban for violent content.
Their remaining group games will be against, Colombia and Uzbekistan, and captain Chancel Mbemba has stressed how important the achievement was for the entirety of Africa.
“It’s a dream come true we worked hard, we made a lot of sacrifices," he said after qualification.
"We suffered a lot, we fought for qualification for all the Congolese people and for all African nations, we’re proud.
"Now we can say we’re going to play in the World Cup,” he added.
The Leopards first World Cup will also be the first for cult hero Michel Kuka Mboladinga, who famously stands with his hand raised without moving for the entire 90 minutes of any match the nation play.
The tradition went viral when Mbolandinga was mocked for his stance during AFCON, with rival Algeria star Mohamed Amoura being unaware of the meaning behind the tradition.
Mboladinga pays tribute to Patrice Lumumba, who was the DR Congo's first ever Prime Minister following independence from Belgium.
Topics: Football, FIFA, FIFA World Cup
Tom Jenkins