Early history In December 1916, Reverend Father
Raphaël de la Kethulle de Ryhove arrived in
Léopoldville (present-day
Kinshasa) from
Bruges, Belgium. The following year, he established Sainte-Anne School (now Collège Saint-Joseph) named after
Paroisse Sainte Anne de Kinshasa. In 1918, several football teams were formed in the city, including those representing Kinshasa School, Léo II, the Coastmen (
West African migrants from regions corresponding to modern-day
Nigeria,
Ghana,
Mali,
Senegal,
Benin,
Guinea, and
Togo), and
Angolan communities. These teams competed in a tournament organized by the
Union Sportive de Kinshasa (USK), an organization founded around the same time. Subsequent years saw the establishment of additional clubs, including Léo Club, Renaissance, Standard,
Boma Club, Congo Club, and Amicale
Kisantu. The team adopted red and yellow colors. Although Mapaku initially faced challenges in a football environment dominated by Renaissance (the predecessor of
AS Vita Club), perseverance yielded success. Sponsorship was provided by Paul Gnilo, owner of the Yaka Awa bar at the intersection of Prince Baudouin Avenue and Luvua Street, and Gabriel Lumbu of the Nzinzi bar in the
Dendale commune (now
Kasa-Vubu). Subsequent changes in player registration rules required athletes to provide proof of employment and to be clerks, which signaled a shift from reliance on school students to a professionalized roster. Kiadivila and Adede conducted their first training session on 30 April at the
Stade des Martyrs training ground and managed the team in the Kinshasa Provincial Football League (
Entente provinciale de football de Kinshasa; EPFKin) match against FC Les Stars de Kinshasa on 2 May. Throughout the 2010s, DCMP experienced organizational instability, internal conflicts, and a decline in support. On 16 June 2014, the club split, resulting in the formation of CS Imana by Pascal Mukuna, some staff members, and certain players. In 2015, the club adopted the name
Daring Club Motéma Pembe Imana. By 2016, leadership restructuring under Deputy Aubin Minaku aimed to restore the club's competitive status in a national championship increasingly dominated by
TP Mazembe and
AS Vita Club.
Continental success During the 1960s, Daring reestablished itself as a dominant force in Congolese football. In 1960, the arrival of players such as
Julien Kialunda, Mambu Roro, Kiala Decoulot, Gabriel Nsay, Léopold Tshiswaka, Esamba, Bessy, Muwawa, Damena, Mombito, Elifa, Amalfi Kalonji, and goalkeepers Kibiasi, Martin Bikoko, Mbunga "Léger", and Dionde reinvigorated the team. Under the presidency of Alphonse Kinkela, with Pascal Bunduki and Mbila as vice-presidents and Isaac Kalonji Mutambayi as secretary, Daring dominated the 1963 championship. In preparation for a European tour contingent on a victory over
AS Vita Club in the UN Cup, Daring defeated their rival 2–1. The subsequent matches in Belgium against
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (1–8) and
Royal Charleroi S.C. (1–1), as well as in Greece against
Panathinaikos F.C. (1–3), were hampered by harsh weather conditions. Nevertheless, Daring capped off its resurgence by winning its first-ever
Coupe du Congo the following year. This national victory allowed the club to participate in the first edition of the
African Cup of Champions Clubs, whose trophy was presented by Ghanaian President
Kwame Nkrumah. In the first round, Daring faced
Oryx de Douala, led by
Samuel Mbappé Léppé, drawing 1–1 at home after a 0–1 defeat in
Douala. Oryx subsequently advanced to the final triangular tournament in
Accra, Ghana, held in February 1965, ultimately claiming the title. Daring's participation marked the first time a Congolese club competed at the continental level, and the team's performance was widely recognized as exemplary. Decades later, the club won the 1994
African Cup Winners' Cup by defeating
Kenya Breweries FC, though it lost the subsequent
CAF Super Cup to
Espérance Sportive de Tunis. ==Crest==