Two games for a million dollars. In an effort to qualify for the 2026 World Cup intercontinental play-offs via the African zone, players from the Democratic Republic of Congo now have additional motivation. According to information from Sport News Africa, the country’s president Félix Tshisekedi will promise an extraordinary bonus of one million dollars for each player if they qualify.
They only need two games to get that amount. Second place in qualifying group B, Congo gets a second chance, first through the African play-offs which will be contested between four teams. Starting with a duel with Cameroon, before winning, a meeting with the winner of the match between Gabon and Nigeria. Only the winner of this final will have a chance to take part in the continental play-offs scheduled for March 2026.
Therefore, the stakes are huge and multiplied. Except for Sébastien Desabre and his staff, who according to the media are not affected by this bonus. For the players, transfers are just one step away. There have even been instructions given to banks to immediately continue paying the bonus if they win on Sunday 16 November. However, the World Cup is not coming soon.
