For a nation reportedly returning to the tournament for the first time since 1974, this should be a moment of noise, colour and emotional release. Instead, the build-up has taken on a sour edge.
“We asked Fifa if this is possible to take this into consideration, because the tickets are little bit expensive,” Mosengo-Omba said in the update. That matters because this is not just about empty seats; it is about supporters fearing they could lose money on a once-in-a-generation trip.
Tournament football is never only about the players. A first match can be shaped by the feeling around it - nerves, momentum, the lift that comes from hearing your own support in a neutral stadium.
If the report is accurate, DR Congo could face Portugal in Houston with far fewer travelling fans than expected. That would not decide the result on its own, but it would change the texture of the occasion. For underdogs especially, that emotional edge can matter.
The report says will “look into it in due course”. That sounds cautious, and it is easy to see why. Ticketing rules are usually rigid, with resale and transfer mechanisms often preferred over refunds. But exceptional circumstances tend to test standard policy, and this appears to be one of those cases.
The next development to watch is whether a practical solution emerges before kick-off. If not, attention may quickly turn from the ticket dispute to whether DR Congo can still make their entrance on the world stage feel as big as it should when they meet Portugal on 17 June.