DR Congo beats Jamaica to secure World Cup return as Bosnia stunned Italy

Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe scored the only goal as DR Congo beat Jamaica after extra time to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1974.

Congo was known as Zaire when they last attended a World Cup finals, and crashed out in the group stage after shipping 14 unanswered goals between heavy defeats by Yugoslavia, Brazil and Scotland.

And just 52 years later, Burnley defender Tuanzebe became the man to send his nation back to the pinnacle of the international game. His tap-in finish came in the 100th minute of an intense qualifying play-off final meeting with Jamaica, condemning the Reggae Boys to wait at least another four years before breaking their own hiatus, which now stands at 28 years.

It was a tightly contested match from the off, and Real Betis striker Cédric Bakambu thought he had put his side ahead after just a few minutes before being denied by the offside flag.

He repeated the feat after the break and also drew a smart save from Andre Blake, whose remarkable performance in the Jamaica net forced the match into extra time.

There had been a litany of squandered corners in regular time, so naturally it would be a set-piece that finally broke the deadlock. Some heavy-legged defending from Jamaica saw the cross go unclaimed and fall to Tuanzebe at the back-post, who poked home beyond the imperious Blake.

Elsewhere, four-time champions Italy missed out on a third consecutive World Cup after losing to host Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout in its playoff final Tuesday in Zenica.

With the loss, Italy becomes the first former champions to miss out on three straight World Cups, with none of the team's current players ever having participated.

Moise Kean scored early for Italy, but then Azzurri centre back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break, and Bosnia substitute Haris Tabakovic equalised in the 79th minute.

The match then went to extra time with the score 1-1 and Italy down to 10 players, but neither team scored in the 30 added minutes. In the shootout, Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante missed their spot kicks, and U.S.-born Esmir Bajraktarević converted the decisive penalty for Bosnia.

In Tuesday's other European playoff finals, Sweden and Türkiye each qualified. Sweden beat Poland 3-2, and Turkey beat Kosovo 1-0. Czechia also qualified after beating Denmark in a shootout.

Pio Esposito reacts after missing a penalty in Italy's Türkiye will be in the United States' group at the World Cup after winning 1-0 at Kosovo to reach soccer's biggest stage for the first time since 2002.

Kosovo were hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, fewer than 10 years since the national team was out of the international soccer family.