The DR Congo national team conceded a penalty in the dying minutes to play out to a 1-1 all draw against New Zealand in an international friendly played in Murcia, Spain on Friday night.
The friendly against the All Whites played at the Estadio Nueva Condomina was part of the Sebastien Desabre’s Leopards preparations for next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Desabre’s charges put up a dominant performance in the first-half but could bleach the All Whites’ defence and the match went into the interval with scores still level.
The Leopards’ second-half got off to a great start as talismanic Galatasaray star Cedric Bakambu opened the scores a minute after the restart.
Desabre made a number of changes as he looked to test the depth of his roaster with Leopards new entrants Grady Diangana and Simon Banza handed their debuts.
Leopards’ came under threat in late on in the match as the Oceanians looked to snatch a leveler and were gifted a chance to do so in injury-time as Gédéon Kalulu fouled All Whites captain and Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood in the box.
Wood stepped up from the spot and easily buried his kick towards the bottom right of the goal to beat keeper Lionel Mpasi and secure a draw for his nation.
The Leopards continue their preps for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Europe with another friendly against Angola next Tuesday in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.
Leopards XI against New Zealand;
Lionel Mpasi (GK)
Dylan Batunbisika | Chancel Mbemba | Brian Bayeye | Gédéon Kalulu
Samuel Moutoussamy | Charles Monginda Pickel (Edo Kayembe ‘90) | Silas Katompa (Jackson Muleka ‘59)
Meschak Elia (Grady Diangana ‘46) | Théo Bongonda (William Balikwisha ‘59) | Cédric Bakambu (Simon Banza ‘79)
