The Democratic Republic of Congo ensured they will be Africa's representatives in March's FIFA inter-confederation playoffs for a World Cup ticket after dispatching Nigeria on penalties following their controversial, acrimonious, and apparently 'voodoo'-laced 1-1 draw on Sunday.
The DRC, who are without a FIFA World Cup appearance since 1974, can book their ticket for next year's tournament if they see off adversaries from four other confederations, to take one of the two outstanding berths that will be contested in Mexico in March.
Neither of the two other qualified teams so far -- Bolivia and New Caledonia -- will give the Leopards too much cause for concern, although the two participants from CONCACAF and the representative of the Asian federation are yet to be confirmed.
After running the gauntlet in Africa, Sebastien Desabre Democratic Republic of Congo side are unlikely to fear anyone, even if the fixtures next March will represent their first competitive matches outside the continent in 50 years.
They saw off Cameroon -- the most successful African side in terms of World Cup qualification -- in the semifinal of the continental playoffs, before coming from behind to oust Nigeria on penalties in Sunday's final, after Elia Meschak's equaliser had cancelled out Frank Onyeka's opener.
Chancel Mbemba, the 101-cap skipper, had netted the decisive goal in the semi against Cameroon, and again stepped up to seal the day, converting the final penalty after the Leopards' substitute keeper Timothy Fayulu had denied Semi Ajayi and Moses Simon, with Calvin Bassey firing wide.
Their impressive playoff performance has come after a strong group-stage campaign, where the Central Africans only narrowly missed out on top spot in Group B, and automatic qualification, after finishing two points behind Senegal.
The group was essentially settled on September 9, when the Leopards -- in the decisive group qualifier against the Teranga Lions -- let a two-goal lead slip as the visitors launched a magnificent comeback of their own, winning 3-2 with Pape Matar Sarr finishing three minutes from time.
Even had they been pegged back to 2-2, the draw would have still seen Congo advance as group winners, with Senegal, who reached the knockouts at the last World Cup, condemned to the playoffs.
Instead, the DRC -- not forecast as group winners -- had to face up to Thursday's semifinal derby with Cameroon, knowing that they'd let automatic qualification slip through their grasp.
Desabre's impact has been immense
This side have come a long way under the guidance of Desabre, who replaced Hector Cuper in August 2022 after the Leopards' failure to qualify for the Qatar World Cup.
Soon after his arrival, he outlined his intention for the fallen giants to be "performing by the end of 2025," and it's safe to say that he's achieved this objective, with Africa Cup of Nations qualification secured and World Cup qualification still on the cards.
Desabre has worked over the last three years to shape this Congolese side while also taking a grip on some of the other structures at the federation, involving himself in domestic football and the youth teams.
Half of the outfield players who started against Nigeria have been brought into the fold by Desabre since his appointment three years ago, as well as three of the substitutes, with the French coach enriching the squad and diversity of his options with smart recruitment and proactive outreach.
His Leopards still carry an attacking threat, although none of the automatic World Cup qualifiers scored fewer than the Central Africans' 15 during the group stage, but they've become notably dogged and resolute, something that hasn't always been a characteristic of Congolese sides past.
Only five teams conceded fewer than Congo's six goals during the qualification campaign, with the Leopards registering six clean sheets across their 10 group-stage fixtures as well as another against Cameroon in the semi.
Desabre has made some astute decisions as his long-term strategy has unfolded, from the consistent central role of late bloomer Samuel Moutoussamy in the team to the decision to substitute out the experienced goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi for Timothy Mayulu, making only his second appearance, to step in between the sticks for the shootout.
It was a bold move for a generally conservative coach, with Armenia-based Mayulu, who has had to bide his time for relevancy in the national fold, becoming an unlikely hero of this magnificent international break.
The Swiss-born stopper's dual-nationality identity and background are also reflective of the makeup of Desabre's squad; 10 of the 11 starters against Cameroon were either born outside the country and/or represented a European nation at youth level.
Mpasi even acknowledged after the match that he had encouraged Desabre's decision to introduce the inexperienced Mayulu in his place for the shootout. It's testament to the unity and togetherness in this group, and further indicative of the collective spirit that the French head coach has fostered in this diverse group of players.
'Voodoo' didn't make Nigeria lose...
The post-match focus has, of course, been Nigeria's failure to progress and accusations that the DRC used 'voodoo' from the touchline during the shootout, with Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle infuriated with his opposition during the shootout.
"During all the penalty decision the guy of Congo did some Voodoo," Chelle told reporters after the match. "Every time ... Every time, so this is why I was a little nervous after him.
"Something like that [waving his arm]. You know with I don't know if it's water or something like that you know."
Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle speaks about his confrontation with the DR Congo bench during the penalty shootout.
While Chelle may rightly complain at witnessing behaviour which he interprets as 'voodoo', he could have a point that the DRC have broken the FIFA statutes, which prohibit "methods or practices... which might jeopardise the integrity of matches," although world football's governing body doesn't explicitly ban such behaviour.
However, the 48-year-old may well also look at his own behaviour on the touchline, as he gesticulated furiously, appeared to pick up a bottle before adopting a menacing stance and approaching the Congolese technical team. It was hardly conducive to keeping cool heads in the moment and focusing on the matter at hand.
Nigeria may well focus on other setbacks, notably the withdrawal (with injury) of Victor Osimhen at half time, the lasers being shone in the faces of the players, the training boycott ahead of the Gabon semi due to unpaid bonuses, or some absentees, such as Ola Aina, Cyriel Dessers or Terem Moffi.
Despite Chelle's fine form, there's still a sense that he's not dramatically taken this Nigeria side forward tactically. They remain massively reliant on Osimhen -- there would have been no playoffs without his performance against Benin -- and the Malian head coach hasn't yet configured an approach that gets the best out of those around him, or can accommodate for the Galatasaray man's absence.
To his credit, Chelle has overseen a strong upturn in the team's fortunes since taking the reins, with Nigeria unbeaten (excluding penalties) in senior internationals through 2025.
It cannot be ignored, that in the three years that Desabre has had to configure and tweak this DRC side, the Super Eagles have had seven separate managerial spells, with Jose Peseiro, Augustine Eguavoen (twice), Finidi George (twice), Emmanuel Amuneke and Chelle each overseeing senior matches during this period.
The contrast is stark, and is indicative of the instability and muddled management that the national side have had to endure during this period. In hindsight, was the run to the Nations Cup final last year merely an illusory breakthrough for this talented generation?
Ultimately, there can be no excuses that can detract away from the reality that this is a gross failure for Africa's would-be footballing powerhouse, and Nigerian football must look at itself and analyse how such episodes are avoided altogether.
A look across the dugout at the team celebrating come the final whistle on Sunday, with their long-term planning, their expansive recruitment strategy, their unified collective and tactical structure, might give a good idea of the solutions required.