Congo will play host to Namibia on Thursday in the penultimate round of group games in round two of the African World Cup 2022 Qualifiers.
The hosts sit at the foot of the group, having failed to win any of their four matches, while the visitors are just two points better off with qualification also out of reach.
Match preview
Congo kicked off their bid to reach the World Cup with a trip to Namibia, and the reverse fixture of the upcoming clash ended level, as a Charles Hambira own goal saw the Diables Rouges leave with a 1-1 draw after he had put his side ahead with a goal at the correct end of the pitch in the first half.
Paul Put's men then faced the tough test of a home clash against group favourites Senegal, and they were handed a 3-1 defeat as Ismaila Sarr and Sadio Mane netted decisive goals in the final 10 minutes, before Congo bounced back to earn a point against Togo.
Euloge Placca drew their opponents level before the hour mark to force a share of the spoils, seeing the Red Devils move onto two points from three outings, having previously looked to have kept their narrow qualification hopes alive with an away win.
Put's side met Togo in the reverse fixture last time out, and their situation was worsened as goals from Placca and Kevin Denkey condemned them to a 2-1 defeat on home turf.
Now sitting at the foot of the group without a chance of qualifying, Congo will look to post their first victory before an unenviable meeting with group winners Senegal on the final day.
They meet a Namibia side who are also out of the running to progress further, following back-to-back defeats.
After beating Eritrea 4-1 over two legs in the first qualifying round, the visitors kicked off the group campaign in encouraging fashion, as they followed up the opening draw against Congo with an away victory over Togo.
Elmo Kambindu netted the only goal of the game early in the first half, seeing the Brave Warriors take a strong position after the first two group outings.
Their chances would be dashed though, as a trip to Senegal resulted in a 4-1 defeat, with Idrissa Gueye, Famara Diedhiou, Mane and Keita Balde all getting on the scoresheet in a dominant performance for the hosts.
A 3-1 defeat at home to Senegal followed, with Diedhiou netting all three goals, and Bobby Samaria's side are now forced to battle for second spot in the group, without the chance of reaching their first global tournament.
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Team News
Wydad AC forward Guy Mbenza will continue to lead the line for Congo, after he found the net in the recent defeat to Togo.
He has netted five goals in nine appearances in the Moroccan top flight for the league leaders so far this season, and the 21-year-old will likely be joined in attack by Ludogorets Razgrad forward Mavis Tchibota.
Le Mans midfielder Durel Avounou offers quality, and he will be trusted to handle business in the centre.
The Namibia line will be led by Elmo Kambindu, who continued his impressive scoring form with the winning goal in their trip to Togo.
They will likely stick with a largely established defensive line, with Samaria set to trust the experience of the likes of Larry Horaeb, Ananias Gebhardt and Denzil Haoseb at the back.
Congo possible starting lineup:
Mafoumbi; Rozan, Mapata, Kibamba, Mazikou; Gotena, Mboungou, Avounou; M'Boussy, Mbenza, Andzouana
Namibia possible starting lineup:
Kazapua; Horaeb, Haoseb, Hambira, Gebhardt; Kamatuka, Handura, Katjiteo, Hotto; Kambindu, Shalulile
We say: Congo 1-1 Namibia
The previous clash between these two sides ended level, and we predict the same outcome on Thursday.
The two teams come in with relatively similar quality, and we see them cancelling eachother out with relatively limited incentive for victory.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Namibia win with a probability of 42.22%. A win for Congo had a probability of 30.37% and a draw had a probability of 27.4%.
The most likely scoreline for a Namibia win was 0-1 with a probability of 12%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.55%) and 0-2 (7.93%). The likeliest Congo win was 1-0 (9.78%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.92%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with a 12.9% likelihood.
