ATLANTA — The Democratic Republic of Congo produced a stirring second-half comeback to defeat Uzbekistan 3-1 on Saturday, earning the nation’s first-ever FIFA World Cup victory and booking a place in the Round of 32 against England.
Yoane Wissa scored twice, while substitute Fiston Mayele added the decisive goal as DR Congo overturned a halftime deficit to finish third in Group K and qualify as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
The victory marked a historic milestone for the Congolese, who returned to the World Cup for the first time since their only previous appearance in 1974.
Uzbekistan, making its tournament debut, exited the competition after suffering a third consecutive defeat despite leading for nearly an hour.
Captain Eldor Shomurodov had given Uzbekistan an early advantage after initially seeing another effort ruled out for offside inside the opening minute.
The breakthrough arrived in the 10th minute when Abbosbek Fayzullaev flicked on a long pass, allowing Shomurodov to burst beyond defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka before delicately lifting the ball over advancing goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi from a tight angle.
DR Congo believed they had equalized midway through the first half when Nathanael Mbuku fired into the net after excellent work by Brian Cipenga down the left flank. However, a lengthy VAR review determined Mbuku had struck defender Sherzod Nasrullaev in the face with his trailing hand during the buildup, and the goal was disallowed.
Despite dominating possession after the interval, DR Congo struggled to convert their opportunities until Wissa won a penalty after being fouled inside the area by Abdukodir Khusanov.
The Newcastle United striker calmly converted from the spot, sending goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov the wrong way to level the match and spark the comeback.
“For someone who started the season slowly, Wissa did well. We trusted him,” coach Sebastien Desabre said after the match.
Momentum shifted completely in DR Congo’s favor, and only 10 minutes after equalizing they took the lead.
Meschack Elia’s effort was blocked inside the penalty area, but the loose ball looped toward goal, where Mayele reacted quickest to guide it over Nematov and put the Congolese ahead.
Wissa completed the victory in stoppage time, cutting across the edge of the penalty area before curling a precise finish into the bottom corner. The striker celebrated by sprinting almost the full length of the pitch as jubilant teammates chased after him.
The victory secured third place in Group K behind Colombia and Portugal and set up a Round of 32 meeting with England in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Desabre immediately turned his attention toward the knockout stage, insisting his side would embrace the challenge against one of the tournament favorites.
“We’ll start working straight away on the match against England, be properly prepared and we’ll try to win it,” he said.
For Uzbekistan, the defeat ended a memorable first World Cup campaign on a disappointing note after the Central Asian nation showed promise but failed to convert encouraging performances into points.
