DR Congo made history by claiming their first ever FIFA World Cup victory and booking a place in the knockout stage for the first time after a thrilling 3-1 comeback win over Uzbekistan in their final Group K match at Atlanta Stadium. Yoane Wissa inspired the remarkable turnaround with two second half goals as the Congolese completed a memorable night.
Uzbekistan entered the match with only pride to play for after defeats to Colombia and Portugal had already ended their hopes of progressing. They lost 3-1 to Colombia in their World Cup debut before suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat to a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Portugal side, leaving them with one of the tournament’s worst goal differences.
DR Congo, meanwhile, knew only victory would keep their World Cup dream alive. They opened the tournament with a spirited 1-1 draw against Portugal before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia. Three points were essential if they were to secure one of the best third placed spots.
The match also carried historic significance as it was only the third World Cup game featuring two nations still searching for their first victory in the competition. Both previous meetings of that kind had produced first time winners.
Uzbekistan nearly made the perfect start inside the opening minute. A long ball found Khamadamov, whose shot was saved by Dimitry Mpasi before Eldor Shomurodov fired home the rebound. However, the celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee immediately raised the flag for offside.
The breakthrough eventually arrived in the 10th minute. A mix-up between Mpasi and Aaron Wan-Bissaka gifted possession to Shomurodov after Abbosbek Fayzullaev flicked the ball forward. The striker calmly lifted his finish over the stranded goalkeeper to score Uzbekistan’s first ever FIFA World Cup goal and hand his side a 1-0 lead.
DR Congo struggled to cope with Uzbekistan’s direct approach during the opening stages. The African side had already conceded twice inside the opening 15 minutes in previous matches, and the early pressure continued to unsettle Fabio Cannavaro’s team.
The Congolese believed they had equalised in the 18th minute when Nathanael Mbuku smashed a superb effort into the net after receiving a pass from Cipenga. However, after a VAR review, the referee ruled out the goal because Mbuku caught Nasrullaev with a flailing arm in the build-up. The decision sparked furious protests from the DR Congo players.
Despite enjoying more possession, DR Congo found it difficult to break through a disciplined Uzbekistan defence. Yoane Wissa repeatedly dropped deep in search of the ball, but Khusanov marshalled the back line superbly to limit the Newcastle United forward’s influence.
As halftime approached, Uzbekistan goalkeeper Nematov confidently punched clear from a dangerous DR Congo corner before Fayzullaev fired a late free kick over the crossbar. Uzbekistan went into the break leading 1-0 despite creating very little, while DR Congo’s attacking play produced an expected goals figure of 0.20 compared to Uzbekistan’s 0.06.
DR Congo emerged with greater urgency after the restart. In the 58th minute, Mbuku tested Nematov with a powerful long range effort before Fiston Mayele fired wide from the rebound, although the offside flag had already gone up.
The pressure finally paid off in the 66th minute. A dangerous cross into the area found Wissa first, and Khusanov caught him with a reckless swinging challenge. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot.
Two minutes later, Wissa stepped up and calmly sent Nematov the wrong way to level the score at 1-1 and breathe new life into DR Congo’s World Cup campaign.
The African side completed the comeback in the 78th minute. Chancel Mbemba’s side broke forward through Elia, whose shot took a fortunate deflection before falling kindly for Mayele. The striker reacted quickest and fired home from close range to make it 2-1.
Wissa sealed a famous victory in stoppage time with another outstanding finish. In the first minute of added time, Elia kept the ball alive near the byline before finding Wissa just outside the area. The forward shifted onto his right foot and drilled a superb low strike into the bottom corner to score his third goal of the tournament and make it 3-1.
DR Congo continued to press for more goals as Mukau fired over from distance before Theo Bongonda also missed a late chance. By then, the celebrations had already begun among the Congolese supporters, who knew history had been made.
The final whistle confirmed a landmark achievement for DR Congo. Their first ever FIFA World Cup victory secured qualification for the knockout stage for the first time in the nation’s history. They will now face England in the Round of 32 after completing one of the most dramatic comebacks of the group stage.
