Wissa Brace Sparks Comeback as Leopards Secure Round of 32 Berth

The Democratic Republic of Congo wrote a glittering new chapter in its football folklore on Saturday night, engineering a breathless second-half comeback to defeat Uzbekistan 3-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The monumental victory—DR Congo’s first-ever win at a FIFA World Cup—seals their qualification into the knockout rounds for the first time in history. Entering the final matchday of Group L with just a single point from their resilient 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Sébastien Desabre’s men knew only a victory would keep their global campaign alive. By collecting all three points, the Leopards finish third in the group with 4 points, safely advancing to the Round of 32 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.

Playing in their first World Cup since competing as Zaire 52 years ago in 1974, DR Congo’s historic evening began in nightmare fashion. Uzbekistan, making their own maiden appearance on the world stage, played with a freedom that rattled the African side early on.

Within the opening 20 seconds, Uzbek captain Eldor Shomurodov found the back of the net, only for a swift VAR review to rescue the Leopards for offside. However, the reprieve was short-lived. In the 10th minute, a costly miscommunication between defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi allowed the lethal Shomurodov to pounce. The striker clinical lifted a tight-angled, delicate lob into the far corner, leaving the Congolese contingent in the stands stunned.

DR Congo responded with sustained aggression and thought they had found an immediate equalizer seven minutes later when Nathanaël Mbuku fired home a brilliant long-range strike. However, referee Felix Zwayer chalked the goal off following another VAR intervention, penalizing Mbuku for a foul on Sherzod Nasrullaev in the buildup. Despite dominating possession, the Leopards headed into the interval frustratingly trailed 1-0.

Desabre’s halftime team talk evidently injected the required composure and urgency. The Leopards emerged for the second half aggressively pinning the White Wolves back into their own defensive third, raising the tempo through the driving runs of Yoane Wissa.

The crucial turning point arrived in the 68th minute. Wissa’s driving run into the penalty box forced a desperate, clumsy challenge from Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov, prompting Zwayer to point directly to the penalty spot. Wissa stepped up himself, exuding ice-cold composure to send goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov the wrong way and level the score.

With the momentum entirely shifted, the African side chased the winner with relentless intensity. Desabre shuffled his cards, introducing Meschack Elia, Théo Bongonda, and Fiston Mayele to maximize their offensive output. The tactical gamble paid dividends in the 78th minute. Elia kept a frantic attacking sequence alive on the wing, firing a low effort into the box that took a sharp deflection. Anticipating the trajectory perfectly, substitute Mayele applied a sublime, cheeky flick to guide the ball past Nematov, sparking scenes of pure delirium in Atlanta.

As Uzbekistan thrown caution to the wind in stoppage time to salvage their first-ever World Cup point, DR Congo executed a flawless counter-attack to put the game to bed.

In the 91st minute, the indefatigable Wissa cut inside from the edge of the area onto his favored right foot, curling a magnificent, low strike into the bottom corner. His second goal of the evening acted as the definitive dagger, sealing a 3-1 triumph and cementing an unforgettable comeback.

The final whistle triggered emotional scenes as the entire Congolese roster fell to their knees in prayer at the center circle before sprinting to celebrate with their traveling faithful.

With qualification secured via the third-placed safety net, DR Congo will not even need to pack their bags. The Leopards are set to remain right here at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for a highly anticipated, blockbuster Round of 32 showdown against Group L winners England on Wednesday, July 1.