DR Congo's Yoane Wissa says the conflict in their country is at the back of their minds every time they play at the World Cup.
DR Congo’s long road to a first Fifa World Cup appearance in 52 years has been beset by challenges that their English opponents in the round of 32 on Wednesday could scarcely imagine.
Despite having to navigate 13 gruelling qualifiers, a pre-tournament quarantine due to an Ebola outbreak, and the structural instability caused by decades of conflict, the war-torn nation is firmly making its mark on the global stage.
"It's not easy in our country," said Yoane Wissa after his clinical two-goal haul secured his nation's first World Cup victory against Uzbekistan to setup a meeting with England, where the striker has played his club football for the past five years.
That is by no means the only English connection inside the squad. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was born in London and represented England up to under-21 level. Axel Tuanzebe also represented the Three Lions at youth level and could line up against his former schoolmate and Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford in Atlanta. Of the 26-man squad selected by the Leopards, 20 were born outside of Congo — the majority, like Wissa, in France.
