Congo DR 3-1 Uzbekistan: Historic comeback seals first knockout berth

Congo DR completed a sensational comeback to secure progression to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history, as goals from Yoane Wissa (2) and Fiston Mayele delivered a 3-1 win over eliminated Uzbekistan at Atlanta Stadium.

Early drama and disallowed goals

After back-to-back defeats, debutants Uzbekistan were intent on claiming a positive result in their third World Cup outing. The White Wolves thought they had taken an incredible lead after just 20 seconds when Eldor Shomurodov fired home, but the effort was ruled out for offside. The forward did break the deadlock shortly afterwards, getting the celebrations for his upcoming 31st birthday started a couple of days early as he looped home a delicious finish from a tight angle in the 10th minute.

Seven minutes later it was Congo DR's turn to have an effort disallowed, with Nathanael Mbuku's precise strike chalked off for a foul in the build-up. Shomurodov almost doubled Uzbekistan's advantage with another delicate attempt in the 51st minute, but this time the ball dropped onto the roof of the net.

Congo DR fight back

Congo DR started to apply more pressure as the game wore on, and Wissa drew them level from the penalty spot in the 68th minute. Ten minutes later a pair of substitutes combined to put Congo DR ahead, as Meschack Elia's shot was deflected into the path of Fiston Mayele, who applied just enough of a connection to dink the loose ball over Abduvohid Nematov and into the net.

Wissa added his second in injury time with an excellent finish from the edge of the box to ensure Congo DR's progress as one of the best third-place finishers. England will be their Round of 32 opponents in Atlanta on 1 July.

Reaction

Yoane Wissa, Congo DR forward: "I'm just one piece of the puzzle. Today was very tough — the weight on our shoulders was hard to bear. There are things we need to fix. But the most important thing is this historic Round of 32. We're going to savour this moment because it's been tough. 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!"

Sébastien Desabre, Congo DR head coach: "We have to congratulate the players — they were the ones who were extraordinary. We're a team that knows how to respond when we concede a goal; we keep fighting with determination. We were a little more offensive today, and I'm glad everyone could see that we're capable of scoring goals. That's great. I have to congratulate my coaching staff as well; we're really proud and happy for all Congolese people."

Fabio Cannavaro, Uzbekistan head coach: "The first half we did an amazing performance, we prepared the game in this way. I knew we spent a lot of energy, I knew we were running too much, and I was afraid for the second half. I tried to push them at half time but of course at this level if we make small mistakes — what I said against Colombia, against Portugal — you pay too much. Of course this World Cup for us is some experience, I'm proud because even if they suffered they showed what they can do."

Eldor Shomurodov's 10th-minute goal was the first time Uzbekistan have taken the lead in a World Cup match.