Congo DR’s new generation made history by advancing to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time, rallying for a 3-1 comeback victory over Uzbekistan to set up a clash with England.
ATLANTA — For 52 years, Congo’s standout World Cup memory was a humiliating 9-0 rout at the hands of Yugoslavia in its only other appearance on soccer’s biggest stage.
Not anymore. Not after a new generation of players made history by advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time and set up a clash with England.
“The weight on our shoulders was hard to bear,” said striker Yoane Wissa, whose two goals helped Congo rally to a 3-1 win against Uzbekistan on Saturday night.
Fiston Mayele was also on target as Congo completed a dramatic second-half comeback. By the end of the night, Congo joined Cape Verde as another unexpected qualifier for the round of 32.
“We told ourselves we can’t give up,” Mayele said.
Congo’s route to this milestone has been built on resilience, not expectation. Few had them escaping a group that included Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Colombia, and the weight of history didn’t help either.
Congo’s previous World Cup appearance came in 1974, competing as Zaire. It lost all three games, including the rout by Yugoslavia.
“It’s a completely different story now,” Wissa said as the final scenes unfolded.
After holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw earlier in the tournament, Congo needed a win in its final Group K match to advance as one of the best third-place teams. It got exactly that.
The night tilted early when Eldor Shomurodov’s lobbed goal put Uzbekistan ahead in the 10th minute. Congo responded with composure before the game truly ignited after the break.
“We’re a team that knows how to respond when we concede a goal; we keep fighting with determination,” coach Sébastien Desabre said.
The match finally leveled in the 68th minute. Yoane Wissa was brought down by Abdukodir Khusanov for a penalty, and Wissa stepped up to send Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov the wrong way—rolling the ball into the bottom corner for the first of a late flurry.
Mayele struck 10 minutes later, flicking past Nematov at the near post to put Congo ahead. Teammates and even substitutes erupted, racing off the bench and across the field to join the celebrations.
Wissa then sealed the win in added time with a curling shot into the bottom corner, pushing the score to 3-1 and beyond the reach of any Uzbekistan comeback.
Fans kept celebrating long after the final whistle, singing and dancing in the stadium concourses as the memories of 1974 faded fast.
“We’re going to savor this moment because it’s been tough,” Wissa said. “All the guys — the substitutes, those who’ve worn the jersey before, and those who’ll wear it tomorrow — we should be proud. Thank you to all the Congolese people; it’s for moments like these that we do what we do. We did it!”
Congo is one of nine African nations to advance from the group stage at this tournament.
“It’s quite an achievement. We showed a good image of Congo,” Desabre said.
For Uzbekistan, the debut at the World Cup ended without a single point to celebrate, following three straight defeats.
“I hope this tournament will give us big experience. I hope this experience will give us more motivation for the future,” coach Fabio Cannavaro said.
Congo DR World Cup Uzbekistan Yoane Wissa Fiston Mayele Sébastien Desabre Fabio Cannavaro England round of 32 Group K