The Democratic Republic of Congo has advanced to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time, setting up a last-32 encounter with England. This achievement followed their victory over Uzbekistan in their final Group K match, where they came from behind to secure the win.
The match, held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, saw Uzbekistan initially take the lead. Eldor Shomurodov capitalised on a defensive error, dinking the ball over the goalkeeper after a miscommunication between Axel Tuanzebe and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who were slow to challenge for a loose ball. Uzbekistan displayed an attacking style throughout much of the first half, pushing to extend their advantage.
Despite Uzbekistan’s early dominance, the DR Congo side nearly scored, with a goal being disallowed for a foul in their own half during the build-up. However, Nathanael Mbuku later sent an effort inside the near post, signalling their intent.
Second-half turnaround
With progression to the knockout rounds at stake, DR Congo emerged with renewed energy after the break, determined to secure the three points needed. Their efforts were rewarded when Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa was fouled inside the box by Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov. Wissa then calmly converted the penalty, levelling the score.
The momentum continued for DR Congo as Fiston Mayele put them ahead. He prodded the ball past goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov from close range, following a deflection off a shot from Meschack Elia. Wissa then sealed the victory in stoppage time, firing an effort inside the far post from the edge of the box.
The win means DR Congo finished third in Group K. They are now scheduled to play England in Atlanta on Wednesday at 17:00 BST.
Group K dynamics and player performances
Heading into the final round of fixtures, all four places in Group K were still undecided, making for an intriguing battle. DR Congo, despite having collected only one point from their previous matches, still had a chance to finish second if they won and Portugal lost to Colombia. This scenario would have left both teams on four points, with goal difference determining the tie-break.
Uzbekistan also had an outside chance of progressing, needing a victory to eliminate DR Congo and hoping to secure a spot among the best third-placed teams. This need for a win for both sides contributed to an attacking contest.
DR Congo had shown competitive performances in their earlier matches, including a 1-1 draw against Portugal and a narrow 1-0 loss to Colombia. These results suggested they had the quality to overcome Uzbekistan, who had lost four consecutive matches and conceded eight goals in the tournament.
Uzbekistan’s defensive vulnerabilities were evident, having conceded eight times in their two World Cup outings. Despite this, they had scored at least once in five of their last eight matches, indicating their offensive capability. However, their need to commit more players forward in attack to secure a victory often left them exposed defensively.
Key players for DR Congo included Yoane Wissa, who had previously scored against Portugal, and Cedric Bakambu. Wissa’s pace and movement were highlighted as crucial against Uzbekistan’s defence. For Uzbekistan, Eldor Shomurodov, who scored 22 goals on loan at Istanbul Basaksehir from Roma in the 2025-26 season, was identified as their main threat.
The match was played on Sunday, June 28, with a kick-off time of 12:30 am. The BBC Two channel provided live coverage of the game in the UK.
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Source: bbc.com
