The Democratic Republic of Congo will return for the second time to the Pinatar Arena complex in the city of San Pedro del Pinatar, in the Murcia region, to complete preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations, EFE agency announced. The team, led by Frenchman Sebastien Desabre, will have players in its squad who play in top European leagues, such as Cédric Bakambu from Real Betis, Aaron Wan-Bissaka from West Ham United and Chancel Mangulu Mbemba from Lille OSC in France. According to EFE, the Pinatar Arena will also host a friendly match between the Congolese team and the Zambian national team on Tuesday, a game open to the public free of charge. The friendly will serve to refine both teams’ strategies ahead of their trip to Morocco, where African Cup matches will take place at the end of December.
The EFE media explained that the concentration in Murcia is nothing new for the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has already chosen the area in 2023 to refine its preparations, while for Zambia it represents the first visit to the Costa Cálida. From this Spanish enclave, the Zambian delegation will travel directly to Morocco, where they will make their debut in the continental tournament against Mali on Monday December 22nd.
Aside from the Africa Cup of Nations dispute, the Democratic Republic of Congo is sticking to expectations in the qualification process for the 2026 World Cup. More than two years ago, the team began its work for World Cup qualification precisely in the Pinatar Arena with a friendly match against New Zealand at the Enrique Roca Stadium in Murcia, according to the EFE agency. The Congolese team will face the final elimination of this phase next March when they face the winner of the match between Jamaica and New Caledonia. If they pass this stage, the team will move into Group K alongside Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia, which would mark the end of a long and demanding qualifying phase.
The concentration of these two African teams will put an end to the presence of national teams and teams that used the Pinatar Arena facilities in 2025. According to EFE, the complex thus completes a record year in the number of teams training on its fields and awaits the start of the next winter season, in which the arrival of more international teams is expected, whose names will be announced soon.
About The Author
