Congo Withdraws from World Cup Qualifier Due to Stadium Issue.
The Congo Football Association has announced their withdrawal from the match day 3 of the World Cup qualifiers due to the non-approval of their stadium in Brazzaville. This decision comes as renovations continue at the Alphonse Massamba Débat Stadium, rendering it unusable for the upcoming fixture.
The Congo Football Association, through Sports Minister Hugues Ngouélondélé, had approached DR Congo
to host the game against Niger in Kinshasa. However, Niger refused to play in Brazzaville, insisting that the match be relocated to Kinshasa.
With the stadium in Brazzaville still awaiting inspection by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Congo opted to withdraw from the match day 3 fixture. The national team has decided to focus on their day 4 game against Morocco instead.
“The Congo national team will not play in Kinshasa. We accept the package because Congo is a country of its word and, when we have given our word, we respect it. When we are faced with a situation that does not meet our values, we do not walk with that. This is why the decision to forfeit was taken,” Ngouélondélé stated.
As a result of this decision, Congo remains last in their group. The team and its supporters now look forward to the next match, hoping to rebound and demonstrate their commitment to their World Cup qualifying campaign.
