KINSHASA (Interstat) — D.R. Congo will host Sierra Leone on Thursday in a global football game, with both teams looking to establish early-season form across all competitions. The match is the first of two scheduled meetings between the sides.

D.R. Congo enters with a season record across all competitions of 0 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw. Sierra Leone’s season record across all competitions is currently 0 wins and 0 losses. D.R. Congo’s most recent previous result was a 1-1 draw against Uganda, when Nathanael Mbuku scored in a 90-minute performance. Brandon Nsimba Ndezi and Jackson Muleka also played 90 minutes in that game. Earlier this season, D.R. Congo lost 2-0 at home to Uganda.

Sierra Leone has yet to record a win or a loss this season and will seek a road result in its first listed contest of the campaign. The visiting side enters the matchup without recent results to build on, while D.R. Congo will try to carry the attacking promise shown by Mbuku’s goal into the home fixture. Ndezi and Muleka give the home team additional experience after full-match roles in the latest outing.

The teams are scheduled to meet again in the return fixture, which is listed as an Africa Cup of Nations match and will give both sides a second look at each other. Sierra Leone will host that return game. D.R. Congo will aim to use home advantage to secure a first win of the campaign and improve a record that includes one draw and one defeat. Sierra Leone will seek a disciplined performance on the road and a positive result before that return match.

D.R. Congo’s home support could be a factor as the team looks to build from the draw with Uganda. A result against Sierra Leone would offer an early measure of progress for a side still searching for consistency. Sierra Leone, meanwhile, enters without a loss this season and will try to maintain that mark while adjusting to the away environment. Both teams have limited results this season, making the encounter an important early benchmark. D.R. Congo will look to turn home advantage into a first victory, while Sierra Leone will aim to stay organized and avoid a first defeat. The game offers both sides a chance to set an early tone.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of D.R. Congo 1, Sierra Leone 0. Interstat’s ELO system gives D.R. Congo a 61.7 percent probability to win. D.R. Congo has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5, and the over/under for the game is 2.5.