UNIFFAC U-17 Championship 2026: DR Congo outclass Gabon | OneFootball

Second consecutive defeat for the U-17 Panthers

UNIFFAC U-17 Championship 2026: DR Congo outclass Gabon

The Democratic Republic of Congo national team clinched a 3-1 victory over Gabon this Saturday at Tata Raphaël Stadium in Kinshasa, as part of the second round of qualifiers for the UNIFFAC U-17 Championship, which leads to the Africa Cup of Nations for this age group.

Backed by their home crowd, the U-17 Leopards struck first, with Delbiro Natale opening the scoring in the 18th minute. Basile Ntoukumi equalized for Gabon in the 46th minute, but Seraphin Ntanto restored Congo’s lead in the 53rd. Delbiro Natale then bagged his second in the 65th minute, sealing a commanding performance for the hosts.

This marked DR Congo's first appearance in the tournament, after their opening match with Equatorial Guinea was canceled due to six Guinean players failing MRI age tests.As for Gabon, they suffered their second straight defeat, following a heavy 1-5 loss to Cameroon in their opening game.