Colombia finally broke down a resilient DR Congo side on Tuesday, securing a narrow 1-0 victory that guaranteed their place in the World Cup knockout stage.
The win in Guadalajara, sealed by a 76th-minute strike from Daniel Muñoz, sent Colombia top of Group K with six points—two ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, with one group match remaining.
Portugal, who were held 1-1 by DR Congo in their opening fixture, earlier produced a commanding 5-0 win over Uzbekistan in Houston, with Ronaldo scoring twice.
Colombian supporters turned the stadium into a sea of yellow, heavily outnumbering fans of the African side in a vibrant atmosphere.
The South Americans, who opened their campaign with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, dominated the early stages, repeatedly testing goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
Muñoz missed an early chance and later had a goal ruled out for offside, while James Rodríguez forced a sharp save with a powerful effort as Colombia maintained sustained pressure.
Mpasi was again called into action, producing fine stops to deny Johan Mojica and Luis Díaz as Colombia combined pace and creativity in attack.
However, their intensity dipped after the first hydration break, allowing DR Congo to grow into the game and create sporadic attacking moments of their own.
Mpasi made one of his best saves shortly after halftime, using his leg to deny Díaz in the 50th minute and keep the score level.
DR Congo held firm for much of the contest but were eventually undone when Muñoz saw his effort deflect past the wrong-footed Mpasi to give Colombia the breakthrough.
The African side pushed for an equaliser late on, with goalkeeper Camilo Vargas forced into a sharp save in stoppage time to tip Nathanael Mbuku’s powerful effort behind.
Colombia, who missed out on qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will face Portugal in Miami on Saturday, while DR Congo meet Uzbekistan in Atlanta.
Despite the defeat, DR Congo—competing at their first World Cup since 1974 when the country was known as Zaire—still retain an outside chance of reaching the last 32.
AFP
