Noni Madueke said England are treating World Cup odds against the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a serious test, with Wednesday’s last-32 tie in Atlanta shaped by a possible penalty shootout. He said England must not take the opposition lightly after a 0-0 draw with Carlos Queiroz’s side in Boston last week.
Madueke on England pressure
“I expect a difficult game for sure. When you get to this stage of the World Cup, you can’t take any opposition lightly. They will have their strengths and their qualities that they try to impose in the game. This game will definitely be difficult and we’ll be ready from the start,” Madueke said.
He added that the pressure changes the shape of the match before a ball is even kicked. “A lot of it is psychological,” he said, before explaining penalties as a matter of technique, run-up and whether the taker waits for the keeper or strikes early. England have been practising penalties with the rest of the squad, which points to a match plan built for more than 90 minutes.
Democratic Republic of the Congo setup
The warning is not abstract. Madueke said every team has trouble when opponents set up with 11 players in 30 metres of space, and he named Spain and Portugal as examples of top sides that have struggled in that situation. He said the Democratic Republic of the Congo will bring the same counterattacking approach England met in Boston.
He also pointed to the personnel in front of England. Madueke said the Democratic Republic of the Congo have several Premier League players, including Yoane Wissa and Noah Sidiki, which adds another layer to a knockout game that may be decided by one mistake or one dead ball. That is the working reality for England: break the block early, or prepare for a shootout.
Saka, Spence and selection
Bukayo Saka is expected to keep his place on the right of England’s attack, with Djed Spence in line to start at right-back because of injuries to Reece James and Jarell Quansah. Madueke said he and Saka represent healthy competition for the same spot, and that competition has already pushed him to stay at the highest level.
He started against Croatia and Ghana before losing his place to Saka for the win against Panama. Now England need cleaner patterns than they managed in their last game versus Ghana, because the Democratic Republic of the Congo are likely to force the same kind of tight, crowded contest. If England do not solve that shape quickly, their World Cup odds may come down to penalties in Atlanta on Wednesday.
