DR Congo operates with a balanced, direct tactical identity. The team maintains a measured possession share of 46.3% while relying on Cédric Bakambu to provide a consistent focal point in the final third. This structure allows them to remain competitive against varied opposition by prioritizing efficiency over sustained control.

Playing identity · system ↔ individual × direct ↔ possession

DR Congo is plotted from possession share and top-scorer concentration. PPDA and recent form are supporting context when present.

+Recent form8 · 3W 2D 3L

2026-07-01World Cup 2026ACOD 1-2 ENGL

2026-06-27World Cup 2026HCOD 3-1 UZBW

2026-06-24World Cup 2026ACOD 0-1 COLL

2026-06-17World Cup 2026ACOD 1-1 PORD

2026-03-31World Cup 2026 qualifying · intercontinental playoffHCOD 1-0 JAMW

2026-01-06Africa Cup of Nations 2025ACOD 0-1 ALGL

2025-12-30Africa Cup of Nations 2025ACOD 3-0 BOTW

2025-12-27Africa Cup of Nations 2025ACOD 1-1 SEND

International friendly matches are excluded

N2 · Scoring

open play 100%

How they score

DR Congo relies exclusively on open play to generate their scoring output. With a conversion rate of 22.7% in open play, the team demonstrates superior efficiency compared to the field average. Their attacking threat is distributed among key contributors like Cédric Bakambu and Yoane Wissa, who drive the team's offensive production.

Goal source · share of play-type-classified goals

100%

Open play100%

Effectiveness · conversion by source vs benchmark

Open play23%avg 20%+3 pts

27 goals from 119 shots.

Set piece0.0%avg 4.5%-4 pts

0 goals from 49 shots.

benchmark average higher than field by 3+ pts lower than field by 3+ pts

Goal-source shares use non-own-goal rows with source_class values; own goals are excluded.

+Top scorers · still a threat?100% intact

100% of listed scorer goals come from players still marked in the squad.

Cédric Bakambu	in squad	5 · 17%
Yoane Wissa	in squad	5 · 17%
Théo Bongonda	in squad	4 · 14%
Meschak Elia	in squad	3 · 10%

N3 · Conceding

open play 100%

How they concede

DR Congo's defensive vulnerabilities are exclusively rooted in open play scenarios. With 100% of classified goals conceded from open play, opponents may find success by prioritizing quick transitions and sustained pressure in active phases. The team has shown resilience against set-piece threats, suggesting that disciplined organization in dead-ball situations remains a relative strength.

Conceded goal source · share of play-type-classified goals

100%

Open play100%

Effectiveness · conceded conversion by source vs benchmark

Open play13%avg 20%-7 pts

11 conceded from 85 shots faced.

Set piece0.0%avg 4.5%-4 pts

0 conceded from 32 shots faced.

benchmark average lower than field by 3+ pts higher than field by 3+ pts

Conceded source shares use non-own-goal rows with source_class values.

N4 · Big moments

falls short · -0.62 GD residual

Better than their rating?

DR Congo consistently underperforms relative to their Elo-based expectations. With a -0.62 goal difference residual, the team struggles to bridge the gap against higher-rated opponents. While they show more tactical consistency than the field median, they frequently fail to convert expected performance into actual match results.

Over-performance DNA · beats-its-rating × reliability, the tournament field

CODTournament field · 48solid line = rating-neutral · dashed = field-median reliability100 Elo ~= -0.37 goals

+Biggest over- & under-performances28 matches

Residual = actual goal difference minus what the Elo gap predicted.

vs UZB · 2026-06-27	GD +2 vs exp +0.74	+1.26
vs BOT · 2025-12-30	GD +3 vs exp +1.94	+1.06
vs POR · 2026-06-17	GD 0 vs exp -0.41	+0.41
vs SUD · 2023-11-19	GD -1 vs exp +2.13	-3.13
vs RSA · 2024-02-10	GD -1 vs exp +1.45	-2.45
vs TAN · 2024-01-24	GD 0 vs exp +1.96	-1.96