The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed "DR Congo failed to arrive at the match venue for the fixture" last week in Malabo, the Equatorial Guinean capital, with the hosts granted a walkover victory.

FIFA cited "prevailing tensions between FECOFA and the office of the Minister for Sport and Leisure" as a contributing factor to DR Congo's withdrawal.

This followed shocking images which circulated allegedly showing the DR Congo's women's under-20 national team training in a street prior to a World Cup qualifier against Cameroon, which football players' union FIFPro said was due to the failure of the FECOFA to "book adequate pitch time for a training session."

A video shared on Twitter also included footage of the players being forced to sleep outside their hotel after the FECOFA "failed to pay" for it.

As per CNN, FIFA said it was "deeply concerned" about the images.

FIFA said most members of the country's senior national women's squad were present at the meeting with its delegates and representatives from FECOFA, and "expressed their disappointment at the manner in which the team had been treated by the country’s sporting authorities."

The International Federation's secretary general Fatma Samoura travelled to the DR Congo capital Kinshasa, where she met with FECOFA interim President Donatien Tshimanga, vice-presidents of the national association and members of the Executive Committee.

The Minister for Sport and Leisure and the Special Advisor to the Head of State for the DR Congo were present and, during the meeting, the Government provided guarantees that "better mechanism would be put in place between the Office of the Minister and FECOFA and that female players would be given the attention they deserve, with their well-being also prioritised."

Prize money owed to the women's senior team will also be paid "in the coming days," and FIFA said the meeting "helped ease tension and restore trust between players, FECOFA and the Government."

FIFA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FECOFA and the country's Government in April this year for the creation of a schools football championship, following meetings between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and DR Congo President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo.

However, the former FECOFA President Constant Omari Selemani was suspended by the governing body for 12 months in June after being found to have received benefits from Lagardère Sports during negotiations conducted as part of his role with CAF.

The long-serving Omari had stepped down from his role as FECOFA President shortly before his ban from football activity was confirmed by FIFA, with Tshimanga taking over on an interim basis.

DR Congo's senior women's team are ranked 110^th in the world by FIFA - the 14^th highest-placed African country.

Its women's under-20 team lost its second-round qualifier first leg at home to Cameroon 4-0, followed by a 5-0 defeat in the second leg.