Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of Congo) was the first black African nation to play in a World Cup finals. The country only played once in the FIFA World Cup, in 1974.

Trivia

  • At the 1974 World Cup, Zaire suffered one of the heaviest World Cup defeats ever, losing 9-0 to Yugoslavia 
  • Zaire was the first country from sub-Saharan Africa to qualify for a World Cup finals
  • When Zaire qualified for the 1974 finals, the Zairian president promised each player a house, a car and free holidays. All these offers were withdrawn when Zaire lost all three matches, scored no goals and conceded 14.