Who Will Make History in Mexico?
With the conclusion of World Cup qualifying in the continental confederations, six nations from the AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC have one last chance to secure a ticket to the finals in North America via the newly created intercontinental playoff tournament. High tension is guaranteed, as is the case with our DR Congo vs. Jamaica prediction.
As expected, the Africans are favored in their clash with the Reggae Boyz. Sébastien Desabre’s team clearly has more quality in its ranks than the Jamaicans, who, for their part, will try to achieve success through their team unity.
Nevertheless, in our DR Congo vs. Jamaica prediction, we assume that the dream of a first World Cup appearance since 1998 will remain just a dream for the Caribbean team, where hardly any player earns his keep in a true top league.
Both teams boast excellent defensive lines but generally don’t score many goals. Unsurprisingly, the recent international matches for both nations have been low-scoring affairs. Since there is a lot at stake this coming Tuesday, we also don’t expect either side to take many risks.
DR Congo – Jamaica Head-to-Head Record
The two teams have never faced each other before, so there are no head-to-head statistics available.
DR Congo – Jamaica Prediction
After a slow start in the CAF qualifiers for the DR Congo, Sébastien Desabre’s team had a chance to qualify directly for the World Cup finals following a three-game winning streak heading into the final group stage match against Senegal. However, they lost the final match of the group stage; nevertheless, it was enough to advance to the second round.
There, Desabre’s squad defeated Cameroon and then narrowly beat Nigeria in a dramatic penalty shootout. In doing so, the Leopards demonstrated the quality within their ranks and proved that the DR Congo vs. Jamaica betting odds, which place the Africans as favorites, are well-justified.
For the first time since 1974—when the country was still known as Zaire—the Central African nation now has the opportunity to qualify for a World Cup.
Up front, Newcastle United’s Yoane Wissa is expected to score goals in the decisive qualifying match against the Reggae Boyz from Jamaica. Last December, the team once again demonstrated its quality at the Africa Cup of Nations, earning seven points in the group stage. Nevertheless, their run ended in the round of 16 against Algeria; this time, however, the Leopards do not want to bow out early and aim to achieve something historic for their country.
After their sensational first-ever World Cup qualification in 1998, the small Caribbean nation is just one match away from its second World Cup appearance in history. If our DR Congo vs. Jamaica prediction is correct, however, the Reggae Boyz will not succeed.
A perfect second round in the CONCACAF qualifiers put the small island nation’s team in an excellent position heading into the decisive third phase, where three wins from four matches even had the Jamaicans dreaming of direct qualification. However, dropped points against Trinidad and Tobago and Curacao meant that Jamaica needed a win in their second match against Curacao on the final matchday in Kingston.
But as we know, their German group opponent snatched the direct World Cup ticket after a scoreless draw. Nevertheless, Jamaica can still jump on the final tournament bandwagon via the intercontinental playoff. The first hurdle has already been cleared with a 1-0 victory over underdog New Caledonia.
The fact that the defensively strong Jamaicans once again kept a clean sheet is certainly no coincidence. Goalkeeper Andre Blake has not been beaten in three international matches now. That’s why Congo, whose squad value is three times that of Jamaica’s, is likely to have a tough time breaking through. If a single goal decides the upcoming match or it goes into extra time scoreless, we certainly wouldn’t be surprised—which is why we’re aiming for an under-goals bet in the upcoming match.
