RABAT, Morocco (Interstat) — The Democratic Republic of Congo delivered a commanding performance to open its Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 3-0 victory over Botswana on Tuesday at Al Medina Stadium.

Second-half substitutes Gaël Kakuta and Nathanael Mbuku provided the decisive offensive spark, combining for all three goals as DR Congo controlled the match from start to finish. The result aligned perfectly with the pregame projection from Interstat, whose game simulator had forecast a 3-0 win for DR Congo. Their ELO system had given the Congolese a 59.10 percent probability of victory.

Botswana, designated the home team for the neutral-site contest in the Moroccan capital, struggled to generate sustained possession or threatening chances against a disciplined DR Congo side. The defeat extended a difficult run of form for Botswana, which has now lost seven of its last 11 matches across all competitions.

After a first half that saw DR Congo dominate proceedings but fail to break through, manager Sébastien Desabre turned to his bench. The move paid immediate dividends. Just six minutes after entering the match, substitute Nathanael Mbuku opened the scoring in the 31st minute of the second half, finding the net with a left-footed finish.

The floodgates opened from there. Fellow substitute Gaël Kakuta doubled the lead on the hour mark, also scoring with his left foot to give DR Congo a comfortable 2-0 advantage. Kakuta was not finished, adding his second goal of the match later in the half to seal the comprehensive 3-0 result. His brace off the bench marked the key performance of the match.

The victory continues a strong run for DR Congo in competitive fixtures. The team is now unbeaten in its last five Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches, a streak that includes four wins and one draw. Their overall form across all competitions this season is formidable, with eight wins, one draw and only one loss in their last 10 outings.

For Botswana, the loss marks a challenging start to its tournament. The team has found consistent results difficult to secure, with its record across all competitions now standing at three wins, seven losses and one draw this season.

DR Congo will look to build on this momentum in its next group stage match as it seeks to advance from the tournament’s opening round. The team’s blend of defensive solidity and impactful substitutions, as demonstrated Tuesday, will be a blueprint it aims to follow. Botswana, meanwhile, faces a quick turnaround to address its offensive shortcomings before its next fixture in the group.

The match was organized by the Africa Cup of Nations as part of the final tournament in Morocco.