ATLANTA – Yoane Wissa dedicated his goals that sent the Democratic Republic of Congo into the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time to those suffering back home from a humanitarian crisis caused by war. Newcastle United striker Wissa scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan to give the African side their first-ever World Cup win and set up a meeting with England in the last 32. Fiston Mayele netted Congo’s other goal after Eldor Shomurodov had given the Uzbeks a
shock lead at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Eastern Congo has been plagued for three decades by conflict involving a litany of armed groups. DR Congo is also fighting an Ebola outbreak that has claimed more than 300 lives. But backed by thousands from the Congolese diaspora in Atlanta, the Leopards roared back from a goal down to make history. “We are a proud country. We are proud people. We love our country. We love our national team. We love what we represent!” Wissa told reporters.
“I think tonight we just showed that what it means for us is just to fight no matter what. “It’s not easy in our country. There’s a war in East Congo. Every day, every time we wear this shirt, we think about them. “Because we want peace and for them, I just say ‘thank you’. Thank you because we came from far. We came from nothing to be here. Now we write our story with a black pen and we need to be proud.” Their
first World Cup was unforgettable for all the wrong reasons, but 52 years later DR Congo have made their mark on the tournament in the best way possible. In 1974, with the country then called Zaire, they exited the tournament in embarrassing fashion after three defeats in which they failed to score and conceded 14 goals, including a 9-0 hammering by Yugoslavia. At the 2026 edition, Wissa’s double took his tally for the tournament to three goals after also netting in an impressive 1-1 draw
against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. The 29-year-old struggled for form and fitness following a £55 million (S$93.9 million) move from Brentford in September and said his recovery made goals on the global stage all the sweeter. “That’s why I’m even prouder than everyone else in this room,” Wissa told AFP on his battle with injuries during his first season on Tyneside. “I didn’t show my best face at Newcastle, but I knew that my time would come. This time is now. I’m proud today to show
that I’m a good player.” Next up is a clash with England, who remain among the favourites for the competition despite an unconvincing start to their quest to win a first major tournament in 60 years. “A big beast is waiting for us,” said Wissa. “We need to enjoy this kind of game. We deserve to play against England, one of the best in the world.” AFP, REUTERS
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