DR Congo will face England in the round of 32 after they staged a thrilling comeback from a goal down to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in Atlanta.The Leopards needed a win in their final group game to qualify as one of the best third placed teams and after falling behind in the first half, they dominated the second half and are rewarded with a game against Thomas Tuchel’s side in this stadium on July 1.It did not always look like being Congo’s night. The first half brought two fantastic goals — but only one of them counted.First Eldor Shomurodov showed why he the top scorer in his nation’s history with a superb lofted finish from a challenging angle on the left side of the box, the ball looping over Lionel Mpasi in the Congo goal.Congo thought they had equalised through Nathaneal Mbuku’s sweetly-struck half-volley from range, the ball flying in at the near post. Referee Felix Zwayer was called to the pitch-side monitor by the VAR team, and decided to rule out the goal because Mbuku’s trailing hand had struck an Uzbek player in the build up.The Leopards created — and missed — an abundance of chances before they won a penalty in the 67th minute that Yoane Wissa rolled calmly into the net.That set up the game for an electric finish and Fiston Mayele, on as a substitute, flicked in brilliantly at the near post with 12 minutes left to put Congo into the lead.And then in stoppage time, Wissa added gloss, with his second and Congo’s third with a low curling strike. It’s Congo’s first appearance at the World Cup for over half a century, and they advance to the knockouts for the first time in the competition’s history.Here, Felipe Cardenas and Tim Spiers dissect the key talking points on a dramatic night in Atlanta.Should England be worried?Fiston Mayele’s clever flick will go down in DR Congo football history as the goal that took the African nation to the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time. DR Congo was against the ropes after Shomurodov’s 10th-minute strike. Yoane Wissa penalty gave them life and Mayele put them ahead before Wissa finished it off in stoppage time.Mayele, who plays his club football in Egypt, was a menace all night on the left flank. His insatiable appetite to dribble and take on his opponent one-on-one was complemented by his opportunistic goal in the 78th minute. His goal sent Atlanta Stadium into a frenzy, which continued as the DR Congo supporters danced and sang in impressive unity.Fiston Mayele, who scored the second, will be a threat against England (Lars Baron/Getty Images)Should England be worried? Perhaps. England struggled to break down Ghana and Congo are a similarly disciplined defensive side. It will be a tough test for Thomas Tuchel’s men.African teams have had a wonderful World Cup group stage. Cape Verde has stolen all the headlines after advancing from a group that included Spain and Uruguay. Morocco is an overall contender and Egypt won their group, progressing to the knockout round for the first time in their nation’s history.
DR Congo to face England in Last 32 after dramatic comeback. What does Tuchel’s side need to know?
Analysis of Dr Congo's dramatic win over Uzbekistan, which put them through to face England in the next round










