Yoane Wissa scored twice as the Democratic Republic of the Congo beat Uzbekistan 3-1 on Saturday, a result that sent the team into the World Cup round of 16 for the first time in its history. The forward’s penalty in the 68th minute levelled the match, and his late finish in the 90th+1 minute put it beyond reach.
That comeback carried the Democratic Republic of the Congo to third place in group K with 4 points, enough to move into second place among the best third-place teams. The team will face England on 1 July at 18:00 in a knockout match that now sits one step ahead.
Wissa and the late turnaround
Eldor Shomurodov had already put Uzbekistan ahead in the 10th minute after an earlier effort was ruled out for offside in the 1st minute. The Democratic Republic of the Congo then had an equalizer ruled out in the 17th minute, and even a possible penalty in the 35th minute did not change the score before the break.
The decisive shift came after Abdukodir Khusanov fouled Wissa in the box. Wissa won the penalty and took it himself, then returned in stoppage time to finish the match off after Fiston Mayele had scored in the 78th minute.
Democratic Republic of the Congo in group K
For most of the game, the Democratic Republic of the Congo were chasing. The team trailed for long stretches before three second-half goals reversed the picture, turning a deficit into a place in the round of 16.
That sequence leaves England as the next opponent and makes the 1 July match the country’s first World Cup knockout-stage appearance. How the Democratic Republic of the Congo handle that step up will come down to the same things that changed this match: discipline in the box, finishing under pressure, and making late chances count.
