DR Congo women lose 4-1 as Côte d’Ivoire take control before return leg

DR Congo’s women face a harder path in Olympic qualifying after losing 4-1 to Côte d’Ivoire on October 9 at TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi. The first-leg result in qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Games, confirmed by FECOFA and reported by Radio Okapi and Actualite.cd, gives the Elephants a clear advantage before the return match in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Congolese equaliser provided only a brief reprieve. FECOFA’s report says Grâce Ruth Seri put Côte d’Ivoire ahead with a third-minute penalty, before DR Congo levelled at 1-1 in the 16th minute. The federation names the scorer only as Anastasia; both news outlets identify her as Anastasia Soulac. Four minutes later, Seri scored her second goal to restore the visitors’ lead.

DR Congo therefore trailed by only one goal at half-time, with the score at 1-2. The gap widened quickly after the restart: Gnaly Estelle scored in the 49th minute and Fofana Karidja added another in the 53rd, according to FECOFA. Radio Okapi reports the same scoring sequence and minutes. The score remained 1-4 through to the end of the match.

The tie is not over, but the Congolese side must now overturn a three-goal deficit. FECOFA schedules the return leg for Tuesday, October 13 at Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, at 19:00. That second match will determine whether their campaign continues; the defeat in Lubumbashi does not, by itself, mean elimination.

Prepared with artificial-intelligence assistance from the cited sources. No original interviews or human approval are claimed.