DRCongo Targets CAN 2029 as CAF Sets Assembly in Kinshasa

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has taken a bold step closer to hosting the 2029 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN). The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that its next Ordinary General Assembly will be held on October 6, 2025, in Kinshasa, a symbolic opportunity for the DRC to assert its ambitions on the continental football stage.

This announcement comes just two years after the DRCongo successfully hosted the Francophonie Games (July 28 – August 6, 2023), a feat that demonstrated the country’s capacity for organizing major sporting events.

Restoring the Glory of Congolese Football

Ranked 11th in Africa and 61st in the world according to FIFA’s December 19, 2024 rankings, the Leopards of the DRC are undergoing a massive revitalization project led by Minister of Sport and Recreation, Didier Budimbu Ntubuanga.

The objective:

• Restore the prestige of Congolese sport

• Position the DRC as a football hub for the African continent

• Win the bid to host CAN 2029

President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi has issued clear instructions to the Ministry of Sports to secure the CAN 2029 hosting rights, following the nation’s impressive 4th place finish in the 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire.

The DRC has signed collaboration and development agreements with elite international clubs, including:

1. AS Monaco

2. FC Barcelona

These partnerships are part of a broader strategic plan to rebuild sports infrastructure and raise the competitive level of local talent.

CAF’s decision to finally hold the 2025 Ordinary General Assembly in Kinshasa is especially significant. The same event had been initially scheduled in Kinshasa years prior but was relocated to Morocco due to the Mpox epidemic.

Now, with improved health and logistics readiness, Kinshasa will welcome Africa’s top football leaders, putting the DRCongo in the antechamber of CAN 2029.

With the momentum of recent successes and clear political will, the DRC is positioning itself as a serious candidate to host Africa’s most prestigious football tournament. The CAF General Assembly this October will likely serve as a testing ground for the country’s organizational capacity.