Congo DR, who are no strangers to drama, have booked their place in the round of 32 at the , where they will come up against England in Atlanta on Wednesday 1 July, after coming from behind to beat Uzbekistan in their final Group K game.
Congo DR had two things to celebrate: their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory and a place in the knockout stage, thanks to Fiston Mayele’s 78th-minute goal before Yoane Wissa put the game to bed in added time. The African players’ joy was clear for everyone to see in their post-match interviews with FIFA.
“It’s amazing because the way the match played out was true to our style. In other words, it was all about sacrifice. We continue to believe in our ability. We carried real attacking momentum. And, to tell you the truth, I’m delighted for the lads. They’ve been working on this project for the past four years. I’m incredibly proud of them,” Sébastien Desabre told FIFA with a huge smile on his face.
“True to our style. In other words, it was all about sacrifice,” Desabre said with conviction. And rightly so. The FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament was decided against Jamaica courtesy of Axel Tuanzebe’s extra-time goal and just under three months later they did not overturn Uzbekistan’s lead until the 78th minute, when Fiston Mayele pounced on a loose ball. It was absolute madness. There was a Congo DR supporter in every corner of the Atlanta Stadium, and in Kinshasa itself, a city now accustomed to late drama and last-minute joy from the Leopards.
“It was really tough for us, and we know we weren’t good enough in the first half. The whole team stayed calm, because we knew we’d show our full potential in the second half. We’d watched videos and identified Uzbekistan’s weaknesses, and we focused on them in the second half,” captain Chancel Mbemba told FIFA.
The centre-back, his country’s most-capped player, continues his journey at this World Cup. Yoane Wissa arrived at the tournament after scoring three goals in 28 appearances for Newcastle United, but at the FIFA World Cup 2026 he already has the same tally in just three matches: “The burden of responsibility on our shoulders was tough to handle. But the most important thing for us is this historic place in the round of 32. We’re going to savour this moment because it’s been really tough,” said the man who restored parity for his side and then made it 3-1 after the match.
Despite having to really dig deep, Congo DR eventually made it through to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams thanks to their four points and goal difference. Fiston Mayele had yet to play a minute at the tournament, but entered the fray in the 51st minute and 27 minutes later he was celebrating having put his side 2-1 up.
“I’m having a whale of a time because it’s my first experience at a World Cup. I’ve had the opportunity to get some minutes under my belt. I’ve always been ready. I kept telling myself that when the moment came, I had to make a difference,” Mayele told FIFA , having not got his name on the scoresheet for the national side since 25 March 2025.
Congo DR now have a mammoth task ahead of them. They will go head-to-head with England, who have the likes of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham in their ranks, but the African side will be looking to take the game into another tense finale. Another moment of joy hanging in the balance:
“We’ll keep working hard because we know full well that in the round of 32 we’ll be up against a top team. We need to recover well,” skipper Mbemba told FIFA . “We’re really proud,” said the coach. “We scored four goals in those three games, and that shows we’ve got what it takes to score on the biggest stage,” Desabre concluded.
Sources: FIFA Official
