The Democratic Republic of Congo received a presidential rescue for their Group Two qualifier against Ghana in Kumasi on Sunday.
On Friday, after days of pre-match preparations in Paris, the Congolese players missed their flight to Ghana, so making a journey to Accra by commercial means in time for Sunday's tie impossible.
The Simbas blamed the Ghanaian embassy in Paris for the delay, with Congolese journalists who are travelling with the team reporting that the Ghanaians issued visas late after querying the applications.
Yet DR Congo president Joseph Kabila has rescued his national team by sending a special flight which has left Kinshasa to pick up the squad and take them to Ghana.
Both DR Congo and Ghana are tied on seven points each, with the Ghanaians leading Group Two on goal difference.
Ten home-based players are included by caretaker coach Sam Arday, who will take charge of his first game for Ghana, while striker Lomana LuaLua is left out of the Congolese side, for whom Shabani Nonda makes his long awaited return.
In the other Group Two tie, bottom-placed Uganda and South Africa face each other in Kampala for a better placing.
