Congo have pulled out of the African qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic women’s football tournament, handing Morocco a direct route into the third round.
The Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) informed the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that the Diables Rouges Dames would not take part in their second-round tie against the Atlas Lionesses, which had been scheduled for October.
The withdrawal follows a period of limited competitive football and inadequate preparation for the national team. Earlier this year, Congo coach Berjona Mbemba had welcomed the return of domestic women’s competitions after two seasons of disruption caused by an internal crisis within the federation.
“Recently, women’s football clubs played in the Coupe du Congo, which was a positive sign for the women’s game,” she told Tele Congo. “I watched some of the matches played in Brazzaville. I think there is a core group of players, but what remains is the work.”
However, no training-camp programme for the national team had been confirmed by September, raising doubts about whether Congo would be able to prepare properly for the international commitment.
Long-running problems for women’s football
The decision to forfeit the tie highlights the broader difficulties facing women’s football in Congo. Domestic championships have repeatedly been suspended, while national competitions remain irregular and clubs have struggled to establish sustainable development structures.
That lack of continuity has also affected the national team’s competitive record. Congo have appeared at only one final tournament of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, in 2006, and are still waiting to return to the continental competition almost 20 years later.
In the 2023 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Congo defeated Guinea-Bissau twice to progress from the opening round. They then lost to Tunisia, suffering a 5-2 defeat away from home before drawing 1-1 in Brazzaville. Tunisia won the tie 6-3 on aggregate.
Those matches remain the most recent international appearances by the Congolese team. Their withdrawal from the Olympic campaign therefore extends a worrying period of inactivity for both the players and the coaching staff.
Federation ambitions under pressure
The absence of a regular league has consequences beyond the national team. It prevents players from developing consistently, limits clubs’ sporting visibility and makes it difficult to identify a national champion or prepare teams for continental competitions, including the CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers.
Congo have players who could strengthen the national side, including dual nationals based abroad. But the federation would need a structured system for identifying, monitoring and recruiting them, supported by a coherent sporting plan.
When Eric Alain Mantot was elected FECOFOOT president, he said women’s football would be a central priority.
“Women’s football will no longer be a footnote, but a priority, with real resources,” he said in his first speech as federation president.
The withdrawal now places that pledge under scrutiny. A revival would require a stable domestic calendar, financial support for clubs, technical monitoring of players and thorough preparation for the national team. Recruiting an experienced coach with a capable staff could help, but only as part of a wider long-term plan covering training, talent identification, club development and transparent management of resources.
Forfeiting against Morocco is not only a missed opportunity in the race for Los Angeles 2028. It exposes a system still unable to provide regular football or adequate preparation for its senior women’s team.
