DR Congo — Benin Prediction, H2H and Probable Lineups — 23 December 2025
On December 23, 2025, in Round 1 of the Africa Cup of Nations, Group D, DR Congo will face Benin. The match is scheduled to kick off at 13:30 Central European Time. Let’s take a closer look at the potential outcome of this clash.
DR Congo
The DR Congo national team comes into this tournament in excellent form and with great confidence. The team successfully qualified for the World Cup, first finishing second in their group with 22 points from 10 matches. They then advanced through the playoffs, where they first defeated Cameroon 1–0 and later overcame Nigeria on penalties, securing a historic qualification for the World Cup.
After that achievement, DR Congo played another friendly match, beating Zambia, which served as part of their preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations. Overall, the team’s current form looks very strong. In their last seven matches across all competitions, DR Congo have lost only once and drawn once, winning the remaining games.
Looking at their previous Africa Cup of Nations campaign, DR Congo finished second in their group and advanced to the knockout stage, eventually reaching the semifinals. There, they lost to Ivory Coast and later were beaten by South Africa in the match for third place.
As for head-to-head meetings against Benin, the teams have faced each other twice, and both matches were low-scoring. One ended in a draw, while the other was a win for DR Congo.
Benin
The Benin national team comes into this tournament in a less positive mood. The team have failed to win their last two matches. First, they suffered a heavy 0–4 defeat against Nigeria in their final World Cup qualification match. Then, about a month ago, Benin played a friendly against Burkina Faso and lost 0–3.
Unlike their upcoming opponents, Benin have been without competitive match practice for around a month, which could be a disadvantage. In World Cup qualification, the team were very close to fighting for the top positions. They finished third in their group, level on points with Nigeria but lost out on tiebreakers, and were also just one point behind South Africa, narrowly missing out on direct qualification.
As for their Africa Cup of Nations history, Benin did not take part in the previous edition of the tournament. Their last appearance at Africa Cup of Nations was in 2019, where the team finished third in their group but still advanced to the knockout stage and reached the quarterfinals, eventually losing to Senegal.
Probable Lineups
- DR Congo: Fayulu, Masuaku, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Wan-Bissaka, Pickel, Moutoussamy, Balikwisha, Mukau, Bongonda, Bakambu
- Benin: Allagbe, Fassinou, Roche, Verdon, Kiki, Kossi, Ahlinvu, D’Almeida, Akimey, Dossou, Tosin
Key Facts and Head-to-Head
- DR Congo have won 4 of their last 5 matches.
- DR Congo scored first in 6 of their last 7 matches.
- 3 of Benin's 4 last matches have seen over 2.5 goals.
DR Congo — Benin Prediction
Both teams approach this match in very different moods and playing form. DR Congo have shown themselves from their best side, successfully coming through World Cup qualification and eventually securing their place via the playoff round, defeating strong opponents along the way. Benin were also close to qualification but lacked quality at the decisive stage, suffering a heavy defeat to Nigeria. In terms of Africa Cup of Nations performances, DR Congo have also been far more successful. At the previous Africa Cup of Nations, they reached the semifinals and played in the third-place match, while Benin have not appeared at the tournament since 2019. Head-to-head history between these teams is limited, but DR Congo have never lost to Benin. Considering DR Congo’s current form, recent achievements, and overall tournament experience, they are rightly seen as the favorites in this matchup. My bet for this match: DR Congo to win at odds of 1.67.
