Aiming to kick off their Africa Cup of Nations journey in Group D with a win, Congo DR and Benin will do battle at the Al-Baris Stadium on Tuesday.
Congo DR will have their sights set on a third continental title, having previously gone all the way in 1968 and 1974, while Benin are still awaiting their first taste of AFCON glory.
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Congo DR vs Benin prediction: Les Leopards to see off western counterparts
Key stats
- Congo DR have come out on top in each of their last five matches.
- They have also broken the deadlock in six of their most recent seven outings.
- Each of Benin's most recent five outings has yielded fewer than 11 corners
Correct score prediction: Congo DR 1-0 Benin
Congo DR have undeniably been in fine form but have laboured a bit in front of goal, scoring just six times across their five-game winning run.
Nonetheless, we can see them edging another low-scoring affair to get their AFCON campaign underway as they mean to go on.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Congo DR the popular choice and unsurprisingly so
- HOME: 8/13 (1.62) – 61.9%
- DRAW: 12/5 (3.40) – 29.4%
- AWAY: 4/1 (5.00) – 20%
*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Congo reached the semi-final of the most recent AFCON edition in 2023 and have been backed to collect maximum points in this year's opener with a 61.9% chance of winning.
Sebastien Desabre's men put the seal on their preparations for the tournament with a 2-0 triumph over Zambia courtesy of goals from Artur Masuaku and Rocky Bushiri.
Benin, meanwhile, will head to Rabat on a run of consecutive defeats by a combined score of 7-0 since winning three matches on the spin between September 5 and October 10.
Gernot Rohr's men have a tough task on their hands to pull off a win in Tuesday's encounter, where they have been tipped to win an average of just one in every five editions.
For more from the upcoming matches, today’s free football betting tips look at some of the best picks.
Most recent H2Hs: Two without defeat for Congo DR so far
Tuesday's meeting will see Congo DR and Benin go head-to-head for only the third time in history.
The previous two meetings between the teams came in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, with Benin suffering a 2-0 defeat in the second clash after coming from behind to secure a 1-1 stalemate in the first encounter.
Africa - World Cup Qualifying 14/11/21
Congo DR
Benin
Africa - World Cup Qualifying 06/09/21
Benin
Congo DR
Congo DR preview: Can Cedric Bakambu deliver the goods?
Despite a slow start to the current campaign with club side Real Betis, Bakambu is one of Congo DR's main attacking threats with 20 goals in 63 matches.
Four of Bakambu's nine goals have come in 2025, making it his highest scoring year in terms of international goals since 2019.
Predicted lineup: M'Pasi (GK), Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku, Mukau, Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Mbuku, Bakambu & Balikwisha
Congo DR's last five matches:
- Congo DR 2-0 Zambia (International Friendly)
- Nigeria 1-1 (3-4 pens.) Congo DR (World Cup Qualifiers)
- Cameroon 0-1 Congo DR (World Cup Qualifiers)
- Congo DR 1-0 Sudan (World Cup Qualifiers)
- Togo 0-1 Congo DR (World Cup Qualifiers)
Benin preview: Les Guepards out to avoid customary group-stage exit
After failing to reach the knockout stages in three of their previous four appearances at this stage, Benin will be keen to give a better account of themselves in Morocco.
Avoiding defeat on the opening matchday will be crucial to the West Africans' chance of success before their sophomore outing against Botswana
Predicted lineup: Dandjinou (GK), Kiki, Tijani, Roche, Ouorou, Imourane, Verdon, Dodo, Dossou, Mounie & Tosin
Benin's last five matches:
- Burkina Faso 3-0 Benin (International Friendly)
- Nigeria 4-0 Benin (World Cup Qualifiers)
- Rwanda 0-1 Benin (World Cup Qualifiers)
- Benin 4-0 Lesotho (World Cup Qualifiers)
- Benin 1-0 Zimbabwe (World Cup Qualifiers)
Player to watch – Noah Sadiki
Starting all 16 of Sunderland's Premier League matches before departing for AFCON duty, Sadiki has proven to be a smart buy for current employers at just €17 million.
The midfielder's dynamism in the centre of the park has often laid the platform for attacking players to express themselves.
Since making his Congo DR debut in 2024, Sadiki has made himself somewhat indispensable at 21 years of age and is set for a big tournament in Morocco.