Chaos erupted at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa after DR Congo's painful 3-2 loss to Senegal in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Furious home fans ripped out seats, hurled them across the pitch, and clashed with police outside, some resorting to stone-throwing.
Viral videos showed the iconic 80,000-capacity venue left in ruins, with widespread damage to infrastructure.
Authorities have yet to confirm casualties or arrests, but eyewitnesses described a volatile scene fuelled by the Leopards' late collapse.
DR Congo led 2-0 at home against Senegal but lost 2-3. The fans couldn't handle the loss. Unfortunate scenes.pic.twitter.com/8VTQJwwYEo
- BabaGol (@BabaGol_) September 10, 2025
The uproar followed a match that had begun brightly for the home side.
DR Congo surged into a 2-0 lead, only for Senegal's Lions of Teranga to stage a stunning second-half comeback, netting three times to steal victory in the high-stakes Group B clash.
Senegal's triumph lifts them to the top of the group on 18 points, leaving DR Congo in second with 16, as the battle for automatic qualification to the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States grows fiercer.
Analysts once again pointed to Congo's defensive frailties, set against Senegal's proven resilience.
In African football, fan violence is not a new occurrence, with the incident having sharpened concerns over stadium security and crowd control ahead of upcoming qualifiers.
FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are expected to investigate the mayhem, with DR Congo potentially facing sanctions.
Both squads, however, must quickly regroup as they prepare for their remaining fixtures in a tightly contested Group B, which also features Sudan, Togo, Mauritania, and South Sudan.
