THE Democratic Republic of Congo’s senior national football team are about to make history.
The Leopards will play against Mali in the CHAN (African Nations
Championships) final at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda, today (6.30pm).
South African referee, Daniel
Bennett, will officiate in the final.
Stevens Khumalo will also fly SA’s flag as the assistant referee.
Mzansi referees have come under heavy criticism in local Premiership matches recently.
Bennett and Khumalo’s inclusion comes as a welcome boost to the other match officials.
In 2009, The Leopards won the
inaugural tournament in Ivory Coast.
Libya and Tunisia are the other countries that won the competition comprising players who play in their local leagues on the African continent.
If the Leopards defeat the Eagles of Mali, they’ll become the most successful team in the tournament’s history.
The Leopards beat Guinea 5-4 on penalties midweek after their
semi-final game ended 1-1 in regulation time.
Ley Matampi was the hero for the Leopards as he saved Mohamed
Youla’s spot kick in sudden death to book a place for his side in the final.
The Eagles defeated Ivory Coast 1-0 in the other semi-final game on
Thursday. Guinea and Ivory Coast will play in a match that no team wants to be involved in, to contest third and fourth place spot.
The Leopards are favourites to lift their second title in the competition, but the Eagles will give them a run for their money.
The Leopards finished second in Group B with six points behind Cameroon. They lost their pool game 3-1 to the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
In the quarterfinal the Leopards eliminated the host nation Rwanda 2-1 in Kigali.
The Eagles also finished second in D with five pointsbehind Zambia. They are the only unbeaten team in the tournament having drawn two matches and registering two wins.
They knocked out the 2011 champs Tunisia 2-1 in the quarterfinal.
They have already pulled off a major surprise and they are one game away from claiming another massive win.
