The DR Congo national football team (French: Équipe nationale de football de la République démocratique du Congo), recognised by FIFA as Congo DR and by CAF as DR Congo, represents the Democratic Republic of the Congo in men's international football and it is controlled by the Congolese Association Football Federation. They are nicknamed Les Léopards, meaning The Leopards. The team is a member of FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
| Nickname(s) | Léopards (Leopards) Guerriers de l'Équateur (Warriors of the Equator) La Céleste (The Skyblue) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association (FECOFA) | ||
| Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
| Sub-confederation | UNIFFAC (Central Africa) | ||
| Head coach | Sébastien Desabre | ||
| Captain | Chancel Mbemba | ||
| Most caps | Chancel Mbemba (102) | ||
| Top scorer | Dieumerci Mbokani (22) | ||
| Home stadium | Stade des Martyrs | ||
| FIFA code | COD | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 56 4 (19 November 2025) | ||
| Highest | 28 (July–August 2017) | ||
| Lowest | 133 (October 2011) | ||
| First international | |||
| Belgian Congo 3–2 Northern Rhodesia (Belgian Congo; Date Unknown 1948) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Congo-Kinshasa 10–1 Zambia (Kinshasa, Congo DR; 22 November 1969) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Yugoslavia 9–0 Zaire (Gelsenkirchen, West Germany; 18 June 1974) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 1974) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (1974) | ||
| Africa Cup of Nations | |||
| Appearances | 21 (first in 1965) | ||
| Best result | Champions (1968, 1974) | ||
| African Nations Championship | |||
| Appearances | 5 (first in 2009) | ||
| Best result | Champions, (2009, 2016) | ||
| COSAFA Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2016) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2016) | ||
DR Congo have been ranked as high as 28th in the FIFA Rankings; as Zaire, they were the first Sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, and twice won the Africa Cup of Nations. They are also one of the most successful teams in the African Nations Championship with two titles, second only to Morocco with three. They are currently ranked 56th in the FIFA Rankings.
DR Congo have previously competed variously as Belgian Congo, Congo-Kinshasa and Zaïre. Their appearance at the 1974 FIFA World Cup was as Zaïre.
History
Early history
The Congolese Association Football Federation was founded in 1919 when the country was not yet independent. The team played their first game in 1948 as Belgian Congo against Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia. The team recorded a 3–2 victory at home. DR Congo has been FIFA affiliated since 1962 and has been a member of CAF since 1963. The team's first official match was on 11 April 1963, against Mauritania in the L'Amitié Tournament played in Dakar, Senegal. DR Congo won the match 6–0. The national team appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 1965.
Glory period
The Democratic Republic of the Congo had its first international success at the 1968 African Cup of Nations held in Ethiopia, beating Ghana 1–0 in the final. The team's biggest ever win came on 22 November 1969 when they recorded a 10–1 home victory against Zambia. Although a handful of Congolese players were playing in Europe (particularly Belgium) during these years, foreign-based players were seldom recalled for international duty; a rare exception was Julien Kialunda who represented Zaire (as the country was by then known) at the 1972 African Cup of Nations while playing for Anderlecht.
The second continental title came at the 1974 African Cup of Nations in Egypt. The Leopards recorded a 2–1 victory against Guinea, another 2–1 victory against rivals Congo and a 4–1 victory against Mauritius. These results carried Zaire through to the semi-finals where they beat hosts Egypt 3–2. In the final, Zaire drew with Zambia 2–2. Therefore, the match was replayed two days later, where Zaire won the game 2–0. Zaire player Ndaye Mulamba was top scorer with nine goals, which remains a record for the tournament. After this, the team returned to Zaire on the Presidential plane, lent to them by Mobutu Sese Seko.
Zaire were the first Sub-Saharan African team to participate in a World Cup, qualifying for the 1974 tournament in place of the 1970 participant Morocco, whom they defeated in the decisive qualifier 3–0 in Kinshasa. Such was the desire to foster an identity of Zaire as a global player that Mobutu paid for advertising hoardings at the World Cup to display messages such as ‘Zaire-Peace’ and ‘Go to Zaire’. At the tournament itself, Zaire did not manage to score any goals and lost all of its games, but gave credible performances against Scotland and Brazil. However, their 9–0 loss against Yugoslavia remains one of the worst World Cup defeats. A bizarre moment came in the match versus Brazil; facing a free-kick 25 yards out, defender Mwepu Ilunga, upon hearing the referee blow his whistle, ran out of the Zaire wall and kicked the ball upfield, for which he received a yellow card. This was voted the 17th greatest World Cup moment in a Channel 4 poll. Ilunga has stated that he was quite aware of the rules and was hoping to convince the referee to send him off. The intended red card would have been a protest against his country's authorities, who were alleged to be depriving the players of their earnings. Many contemporary commentators instead held it to be an example of African football's "naïvety and indiscipline".
Crisis period
After winning the 1974 African Cup of Nations and participating in the 1974 World Cup, the team was eliminated in the first round of the 1976 African Cup of Nations after recording a draw and two losses in the group stage. Morocco went on to win the tournament. From 1978 to 1986, the country did not qualify for the African Cup of Nations, while not participating in qualification for the 1978 World Cup and 1986 World Cup. In the 1988 African Cup of Nations, Zaire finished last in their group despite having two draws.
Return to success
From 1992 to 1996, Zaire, reached three consecutive African Cup of Nations quarter-finals. In 1992 and 1994, they were beaten by Nigeria, and in 1996 they were beaten by Ghana. In 1997, the country returned to its former name of Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the national team was re-branded as the Simbas, a nickname that stuck for the next nine years. DR Congo played their first game on 8 June 1997 in Pointe-Noire which ended in a 1–0 loss to the Republic of the Congo. At the 1998 African Cup of Nations, DR Congo, led by Louis Watunda, surprisingly took third place, beating Cameroon in the quarter-finals and hosts Burkina Faso 4–1 on penalties in their last match after scoring three late goals to tie the encounter 4–4.
At the 2000 African Cup of Nations, the team finished third in their group, and in 2002 were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Senegal. Then, in 2004, DR Congo were eliminated after three straight defeats in the group stages. In 2006, led by Claude Le Roy, having finished second in the group behind Cameroon, the Congolese were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Egypt 4–1.
Struggles
DR Congo were drawn in group 10 for qualifications for the 2008 African Cup of Nations, along with Libya, Namibia and Ethiopia. Before the last match day, the Congolese led the group, but they drew 1–1 with Libya in their final match while Namibia beat Ethiopia 3–2. This sent Namibia through to the Finals, while the Leopards were eliminated. DR Congo also failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. In 2009, DR Congo won the 2009 African Championship of Nations, a competition reserved to players in domestic leagues, a tournament they would again win in 2016. DR Congo reached the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finals in South Africa but were knocked out in the group stages after drawing all three matches.
The Ibengé era: rise and near World Cup miss
In the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, DR Congo again drew all three group matches but this time finished second in the group behind Tunisia, and therefore advanced to the quarter-finals to play their rivals Republic of Congo, a match in which the Leopards came from two goals down to win 4–2. However, they were knocked out by the Ivory Coast 3–1 in the semi-finals. They ended up finishing third, beating Equatorial Guinea on penalties, after the third place match finished 0–0 in regulation time.
DR Congo under Ibengé improved radically and had an outstanding performance for many decades in a World Cup qualification. During the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, DR Congo was grouped with Libya, Tunisia and Guinea. DR Congo managed an outstanding performance, beating Libya and Guinea home and away, but missed the chance after losing 1–2 to eventual World Cup qualifier Tunisia in Tunis and drew 2–2 at home to the same opponent.
Home stadium
Stade des Martyrs has been the home of the national team since its establishment and they occasionally play their games at Lubumbashi.
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2025
| 21 March 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier | DR Congo | 1–0 | South Sudan | Kinshasa, DR Congo |
| 17:00 UTC+1 |
| Report | Stadium: Stade des Martyrs Referee: Celso Alvação (Mozambique) |
| 25 March 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier | Mauritania | 0–2 | DR Congo | Nouadhibou, Mauritania |
| 21:00 UTC+0 | Report |
| Stadium: Nouadhibou Municipal Stadium Referee: Mohamed Athoumani (Comore) |
| 5 June Friendly | DR Congo | 1–0 | Mali | Orléans, France |
| 20:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Stade de la Source |
| 8 June Friendly | DR Congo | 3–1 | Madagascar | Orléans, France |
| 20:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Stade de la Source |
| 5 September 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier | South Sudan | 1–4 | DR Congo | Juba, South Sudan |
| 14:00 UTC+2 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Juba Stadium Referee: Brighton Chimene (Zimbabwe) |
| 9 September 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier | DR Congo | 2–3 | Senegal | Kinshasa, DR Congo |
| 17:00 UTC+1 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Stade des Martyrs Referee: Omar Artan (Somalia) |
| 10 October 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier | Togo | 0–1 | DR Congo | Lomé, Togo |
| 14:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Stade de Kégué Referee: Lenine Dos Santos Rocha (Cape Verde) |
| 14 October 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier | DR Congo | 1–0 | Sudan | Kinshasa, DR Congo |
| 20:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Stade des Martyrs Referee: Abongile Tom (South Africa) |
| 13 November 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier | Cameroon | 0–1 | DR Congo | Rabat, Morocco |
| 20:00 UTC+1 | Report |
| Stadium: Al Barid Stadium Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan) |
| 16 November 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier | Nigeria | 1–1 (3–4 p) | DR Congo | Rabat, Morocco |
| 20:00 UTC+1 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium Referee: Jalal Jayed (Morocco) |
| Penalties | ||||
|
| |||
| 16 December Friendly | Zambia | 0–2 | DR Congo | Murcia, Spain |
| 16:00 UTC+1 | Report |
| Stadium: Pinatar Arena Referee: Javier Alberola Rojas (Spain) |
| 23 December 2025 AFCON RR | DR Congo | v | Benin | Rabat, Morocco |
| 20:30 | Stadium: Al Barid Stadium |
| 27 December 2025 AFCON RR | Senegal | v | DR Congo | Tangier, Morocco |
| 18:00 | Stadium: Ibn Batouta Stadium |
| 30 December 2025 AFCON RR | Botswana | v | DR Congo | Rabat, Morocco |
| 20:30 | Stadium: Al Barid Stadium |
2026
| 31 March 2026 FIFA WC inter-confederation play-offs | DR Congo | v | New Caledonia or Jamaica | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 15:00 UTC−6 | Stadium: Estadio Akron |
Technical staff
Coaches
- Léon Mokuna (1965)
- Ferenc Csanádi (1967–1968)
- Léon Mokuna (1968–1970)
- André Mori (1970)
- Blagoje Vidinić (1970–1974)
- Ştefan Stănculescu (1974–1976)
- Julien Kialunda (?–?)
- Otto Pfister (1985–1989)
- Ali Makombo Alamande (1989)
- Pierre Kalala Mukendi (1992–1993)
- Louis Watunda (1993)
- Pierre Kalala Mukendi (1994)
- Jean-Santos Muntubila (1995)
- Muhsin Ertuğral (1995–1996)
- Jean-Santos Muntubila (1996–1997)
- Mohamed Magassouba (1997)
- Celio Barros (1997)
- Saio Ernest Mokili (1997)
- Louis Watunda Iyolo (1998–1999)
- Médard Lusadusu Basilwa (1999–2000)
- Roger Palmgren (1999–2000)
- Mohamed Magassouba (2000)
- Jean-Santos Muntubila (2001)
- Yuri Gavrilov (2001)
- Eugène Kabongo (2002)
- Andy Mfutila (2002–2003)
- Mick Wadsworth (2003–2004)
- Claude Le Roy (2004–2006)
- Henri Depireux (2006–2007)
- Patrice Neveu (2008–2010)
- Robert Nouzaret (2010–2011)
- Claude Le Roy (2011–2013)
- Jean-Santos Muntubila (2013–2014)
- Florent Ibengé (2014–2019)
- Christian Nsengi-Biembe (2019–2021)
- Héctor Cúper (2021–2022)
- Sébastien Desabre (2022–present)
Players
Current squad
The following players have been selected for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations between 21 December 2025 – 18 January 2026.
Caps and goals as of 16 December 2025, after the match against Zambia.
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up for DR Congo in the last twelve months and are still eligible to represent.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Dimitry Bertaud | 6 June 1998 | 14 | 0 | Unattached | v. Sudan, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Warren Bondo | 15 September 2003 | 0 | 0 | Cremonese | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE |
| DF | Dylan Batubinsika | 15 February 1996 | 14 | 1 | Saint-Étienne | v. Sudan, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Jeremy Ngakia | 7 September 2000 | 0 | 0 | Watford | v. Senegal, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Henock Inonga Baka | 1 November 1993 | 22 | 0 | Unattached | v. Mauritania, 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Brian Bayeye | 30 June 2000 | 3 | 0 | Unattached | v. Mauritania, 25 March 2025 |
| MF | Mario Stroeykens | 29 September 2004 | 0 | 0 | Anderlecht | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations INJ |
| MF | Grady Diangana | 19 April 1998 | 7 | 0 | Elche | v. Togo, 10 October 2025 INJ |
| MF | Aaron Tshibola | 2 January 1995 | 16 | 1 | Levadiakos | v. Senegal, 9 September 2025 |
| MF | Willy Kambwala | 25 August 2004 | 0 | 0 | Villarreal | v. Mali, 5 June 2025 PRE |
| MF | Silas Katompa Mvumpa | 6 October 1998 | 18 | 1 | VfB Stuttgart | v. Mauritania, 25 March 2025 |
| FW | Jackson Muleka | 4 October 1999 | 18 | 3 | Konyaspor | v. Sudan, 14 October 2025 |
| FW | Afimico Pululu | 23 March 1999 | 0 | 0 | Jagiellonia Białystok | v. Togo, 10 October 2025 INJ |
| FW | Yoane Wissa | 3 September 1996 | 34 | 8 | Newcastle United | v. Senegal, 9 September 2025 |
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. | ||||||
Records
- As of 16 November 2025
- Players in bold are still active with DR Congo.
Most appearances
| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chancel Mbemba | 101 | 7 | 2012–present |
| 2 | Issama Mpeko | 81 | 2 | 2011–2023 |
| 3 | Robert Kidiaba | 64 | 0 | 2002–2015 |
| 4 | Cédric Bakambu | 62 | 20 | 2015–present |
| 5 | Meschak Elia | 61 | 12 | 2016–present |
| 6 | Zola Matumona | 53 | 9 | 2002–2014 |
| Trésor Mputu | 53 | 14 | 2004–2021 | |
| 8 | Joël Kimwaki | 52 | 3 | 2009–2016 |
| 9 | Samuel Moutoussamy | 52 | 0 | 2019–present |
| 10 | Yannick Bolasie | 50 | 9 | 2013–2022 |
| Marcel Mbayo | 50 | 4 | 1996–2011 |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dieumerci Mbokani | 22 | 49 | 0.45 | 2005–2022 |
| 2 | Cédric Bakambu | 20 | 62 | 0.32 | 2015–present |
| 3 | Shabani Nonda | 14 | 22 | 0.64 | 2000–2008 |
| Trésor Mputu | 14 | 53 | 0.26 | 2004–2021 | |
| 5 | Meschak Elia | 12 | 61 | 0.2 | 2016–present |
| Jean-Jacques Yemweni | 12 | 16 | 0.75 | 2000–2007 | |
| 7 | Ngoy Kabongo | 11 | 22 | 0.5 | 1981–1991 |
| 8 | Ndaye Mulamba | 10 | 20 | 0.5 | 1973–1976 |
| 9 | Kakoko Etepé | 9 | 31 | 0.29 | 1970–1976 |
| Dioko Kaluyituka | 9 | 31 | 0.29 | 2004–2013 | |
| Jonathan Bolingi | 9 | 34 | 0.26 | 2014–2022 | |
| Ndombe Mubele | 9 | 45 | 0.2 | 2013–2018 | |
| Yannick Bolasie | 9 | 50 | 0.18 | 2013–2022 | |
| Zola Matumona | 9 | 53 | 0.17 | 2002–2014 |
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| as Congo and Congo-Léopoldville | as Congo and Congo-Léopoldville | ||||||||||||||
| 1930 to 1962 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
| as Congo-Kinshasa | as Congo-Kinshasa | ||||||||||||||
| 1966 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
| as Zaire | as Zaire | ||||||||||||||
| 1970 | Entry not accepted by FIFA | Entry not accepted by FIFA | |||||||||||||
| 1974 | Group stage | 16th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 4 | |
| 1978 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
| 1982 | Did not qualify | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 12 | ||||||||
| 1986 | Banned | Banned | |||||||||||||
| 1990 | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 1994 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| 1998 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 10 | |||||||||
| as DR Congo | as DR Congo | ||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Did not qualify | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 18 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2010 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 6 | |||||||||
| 2014 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 5 | |||||||||
| 2018 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 9 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 8 | |||||||||
| 2026 | Qualification in progress | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 7 | ||||||||
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
| 2034 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 1/15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 96 | 47 | 22 | 27 | 156 | 99 | |
Africa Cup of Nations
| Africa Cup of Nations record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
| 1957 | Part of Belgium | Part of Belgium | ||||||||||||||
| 1959 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1962 | Not affiliated to CAF | Not affiliated to CAF | ||||||||||||||
| 1963 | ||||||||||||||||
| Played as Congo-Léopoldville | Played as Congo-Léopoldville | |||||||||||||||
| 1965 | Group stage | 5th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | ||
| Played as Congo-Kinshasa | Played as Congo-Kinshasa | |||||||||||||||
| 1968 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 1970 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Qualified as defending champions | |||||||
| Played as Zaire | Played as Zaire | |||||||||||||||
| 1972 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | ||
| 1974 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 3 | ||
| 1976 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | Qualified as defending champions | |||||||
| 1978 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1980 | Did not qualify | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
| 1982 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 1984 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
| 1986 | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 4 | |||||||||
| 1988 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 1990 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||
| 1992 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1994 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 3 | ||
| 1996 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | ||
| Played as / / DR Congo | Played as / / DR Congo | |||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | ||
| 2000 | Group stage | 12th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 2002 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 2004 | Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | ||
| 2006 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 10 | ||
| 2008 | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2010 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2012 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2013 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | ||
| 2015 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 9 | ||
| 2017 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | ||
| 2019 | Round of 16 | 14th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 2021 | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||
| 2023 | Fourth place | 4th | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2025 | Group stage | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | ||
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| 2029 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 2 Titles | 21/35 | 80 | 21 | 29 | 30 | 94 | 104 | 149 | 77 | 35 | 37 | 250 | 156 | ||
African Nations Championship
| African Nations Championship record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 2009 | Final | Winners | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2011 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Final | Winners | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 7 | DR Congo qualified by walkover. | ||||||
| 2018 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2020 | Quarter-finals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 2022 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Total | 2 titles | 5/6 | 23 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 32 | 24 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 8 | |
African Games
| African Games record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1965 | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 8 |
| 1973-1987 | Did not enter | ||||||
| Total | 1/4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 8 |
Head-to-head record
Including the record of Zambia. Updated as for 16 December 2025.
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | W% | L% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 42.86 |
| Angola | 17 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 13 | 47.06 | 23.53 |
| Bahrain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100 |
| Benin | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 75 | 0 |
| Botswana | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100 |
| Burkina Faso | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 23 | 21 | 38.46 | 46.15 |
| Burundi | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 100 | 0 |
| Cameroon | 37 | 12 | 7 | 18 | 33 | 46 | 32.43 | 48.65 |
| Cape Verde | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 33.33 | 0 |
| Central African Republic | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 71.43 | 14.29 |
| Chad | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
| Congo | 38 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 66 | 38 | 47.37 | 21.05 |
| Djibouti | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 75 | 0 |
| Egypt | 14 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 27 | 7.14 | 57.14 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 33.33 | 33.33 |
| Eswatini | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 62.5 | 12.5 |
| Ethiopia | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 75 | 25 |
| Gabon | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 16 | 31.58 | 26.32 |
| Gambia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 33.33 | 33.33 |
| Ghana | 24 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 40 | 20.83 | 54.17 |
| Guinea | 15 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 11 | 40 | 33.33 |
| Iraq | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 100 |
| Ivory Coast | 20 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 27 | 34 | 25 | 45 |
| Kenya | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 13 | 50 | 33.33 |
| Lesotho | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 42.86 | 0 |
| Liberia | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 44.44 | 33.33 |
| Libya | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 11 | 41.67 | 16.67 |
| Madagascar | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 30 | 16 | 53.33 | 26.67 |
| Malawi | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 57.14 | 14.29 |
| Mali | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 18 | 25 | 41.67 |
| Mauritania | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 100 | 0 |
| Mauritius | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 100 | 0 |
| Mexico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 100 |
| Morocco | 17 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 17.65 | 29.41 |
| Mozambique | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 7 | 71.43 | 0 |
| Namibia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 33.33 | 33.33 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Niger | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 33.33 | 33.33 |
| Nigeria | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 16 | 40 | 50 |
| North Korea | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oman | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Qatar | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Romania | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Rwanda | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 40 | 60 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100 |
| Scotland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100 |
| Senegal | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 21 | 21.43 | 50 |
| Seychelles | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
| Sierra Leone | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 100 | 0 |
| South Africa | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 11.11 | 66.67 |
| South Sudan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 100 | 0 |
| Sudan | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 11 | 61.54 | 23.08 |
| Tanzania | 18 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 17 | 11 | 38.89 | 16.67 |
| Togo | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 11 | 77.78 | 5.56 |
| Tunisia | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 17 | 27 | 25 | 55 |
| Uganda | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 10 | 56.25 | 31.25 |
| Yugoslavia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 100 |
| Zambia | 28 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 45 | 35 | 33.33 | 25.93 |
| Zimbabwe | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 37.5 | 37.5 |
- Includes the results of Upper Volta.
Honours
Continental
- CAF African Cup of Nations
- CAF African Nations Championship
- Champions (2): 2009, 2016
Regional
- Central African Games
- Gold medal (1): 1981
Awards
- Africa Cup of Nations Fair Play Award (1): 2015
Summary
| Competition | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAF African Cup of Nations | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| CAF African Nations Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
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