DR Congo Roars Into the Knockouts, Beats Uzbekistan 3-1 Behind Wissa Brace
- Jon Nelson
- 1 minute ago
- 5 min read
Les Léopards rally in Atlanta to earn their first World Cup win and set up a Round of 32 showdown with England
In a match that could deliver a first for either national team, Group K’s nighttime kickoff at a packed Atlanta Stadium gave the World Cup exactly what it wanted: urgency, chaos, and stakes that never loosened their grip.
Democratic Republic of Congo and Uzbekistan entered as the group’s third- and fourth-place teams, two programs looking to show their growth on the world stage, and both knew there was no comfortable route forward.
For DR Congo, the math was clear enough. A win would take Les Léopards to four points and move them above the cut line among the third-place teams, securing a place in the knockout rounds. A draw would send both teams home.
For Uzbekistan, the equation was far more punishing. The White Wolves needed not only a victory, but a six-goal margin to overcome a minus-seven goal difference and have any hope of staying alive among the three-point teams.
That desperation showed almost immediately.
Inside the opening 30 seconds, Uzbekistan pushed the pace because it had no alternative. Donstonbek Khamdonov forced DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau into a point-blank save, and captain Eldor Shomurodov pounced on the rebound to slam the ball into the net. The celebration was cut short, though, as the flag went up for offside.
It was a warning. Nine minutes later, Uzbekistan made it count.
A flick from Abbosbek Fayzullayev released Shomurodov down the left side of the DR Congo penalty area. From a sharp angle, the Uzbekistan captain lifted a composed finish over Mpasi-Nzau and into the far side netting for a 1-0 lead.
The goal gave Uzbekistan belief and turned an already frantic match into a full sprint. A sellout crowd of 68,239 was pushed to the edge of its seat as both teams traded attacking surges, hurried clearances, and moments that looked capable of changing the tournament.
DR Congo thought it had found its answer in the 17th minute through Nathaniel Mbuku, who appeared to create and finish one of the goals of the group stage.
Mbuku first collected possession near the far touchline, 10 yards inside his own half. He slipped away from the first wave of Uzbekistan pressure and carried the ball nearly 50 yards through the middle of the Atlanta Stadium pitch. Arthur Masuaku then became involved on the left after receiving Mbuku’s outlet, and the move eventually found its way back to Mbuku for a sweeping left-footed finish.
For a few moments, DR Congo had its equalizer.
Then VAR intervened.
After review, Mbuku was judged to have caught a defender in the face with his hand early in the sequence. The goal was wiped away, and all of DR Congo’s work disappeared with it.
Still, Les Léopards kept coming. Uzbekistan nearly found a second in the 38th minute when Khamdonov’s effort from the left side deflected off Chancel Mbemba’s hip, changing direction and forcing Mpasi-Nzau into a full-stretch save at the far post.
Seven minutes of first-half stoppage time brought one clear chance for each side. Mbemba sent a shot over the crossbar from inside the area for DR Congo, and Fayzullayev did the same with a free kick from 25 yards in the final moments before halftime.
At halftime, Uzbekistan had the lead, but DR Congo had already begun to tilt the match. Les Léopards owned twice as many shots, 4-2, though none had tested Nematov. Uzbekistan’s only shot on target was Shomurodov’s opener, a reminder that the scoreboard was telling a very different story than the rhythm of the match.
The attacking indicators favored DR Congo in almost every category except the one that mattered most.
The second half began with Les Léopards increasing the pressure and Uzbekistan trying to protect its lead while still chasing the impossible margin it needed. DR Congo created chances through volume rather than precision, firing seven shots in the opening stages of the half, but only one tested the goalkeeper. At the other end, Shomurodov nearly produced a second moment of brilliance with a chip that landed on top of the net.
Uzbekistan’s lead held. So did its resolve.
But in the 66th minute, the match turned.
A centering pass toward Yoane Wissa reached the Newcastle forward near the penalty spot. Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov clattered into Wissa and knocked him to the ground, leaving referee Felix Zwayer with little choice but to point to the spot.
Wissa took the penalty himself. He stuttered in his approach, sent Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov to his right, and rolled his finish the other way.
The match was level at 1-1, but a draw still helped no one.
That reality kept the match stretched and nervy entering the final 20 minutes. DR Congo needed one more moment. In the 78th minute, it arrived.
Substitute Meschack Elia delivered from the left side of the Uzbekistan penalty area. The pass deflected off a defender and fell to Fiston Mayele, who reacted quickest. The Pyramids FC striker used the outside of his right foot to lift the ball over Nematov and into the net.
After chasing the match for more than an hour, DR Congo finally had the lead.
Wissa then supplied the exclamation point at the start of stoppage time. Collecting the ball near the top of the box, he drove a low effort through traffic and inside the far post for his second goal of the night and DR Congo’s third.
By the end, the numbers matched the momentum. DR Congo finished with 58 percent possession, a 19-3 advantage in total shots, a 4-1 edge in shots on target, and a commanding 2.35-0.20 advantage in expected goals. Les Léopards also created all three of the match’s big chances and piled up 30 touches in the Uzbekistan penalty area compared to just seven for the White Wolves.
For Uzbekistan, the night ended with evidence of progress but no reward: an early lead, a fearless start, and a match that eventually slipped away under the weight of DR Congo’s pressure.
The 3-1 victory delivered a historic reward: the country’s first World Cup win and its first trip to the knockout rounds, coming 52 years after its only previous appearance, when it competed as Zaire in 1974.
It also delivered a longer stay in Atlanta.
Les Léopards will not have to travel for their Round of 32 match. England now comes to Atlanta for a knockout-stage meeting on Wednesday, July 1.
For DR Congo, the night began with complicated group math and ended with history, survival, and one more match under the lights.