Uzbekistan, making their World Cup debut as the most unheralded team left in the tournament, gave a generous chunk of Atlanta something to scream about inside ten minutes. Eldor Shomurodov put the underdogs in front with a clinical finish, and for the better part of an hour, DR Congo looked rattled rather than ruthless.
But class — and a penalty — eventually told. Yoane Wissa leveled from the spot in the 68th minute after a foul inside the box, and the Brentford forward's confidence carried straight into the rest of the match. Ten minutes later, Fiston Mayele turned the contest fully on its head, finishing off a quick break to put DR Congo in front for the first time.
Wissa wasn't done. With Uzbekistan pushing bodies forward in search of an equalizer, he broke clear in stoppage time to seal his brace and complete a comeback that had looked unlikely as recently as the hour mark. The 3-1 final score flattered DR Congo's overall control of the match, but in a World Cup where late goals have defined matchday after matchday, nobody in this group is complaining about how the points arrived.
DR Congo finish third in Group K and advance as one of the best third-placed sides in the tournament, a remarkable achievement for a side many had written off before a ball was kicked. Uzbekistan exit with their heads unbowed — Shomurodov's goal a fitting send-off for a side that punched well above its FIFA ranking all tournament.
Leading a side fighting for a knockout berth for the better part of an hour at a World Cup is no small feat for first-timers. Shomurodov's early goal was a genuine statement.
A penalty and a stoppage-time finish — his second multi-goal involvement of the group stage, and the reason this side is still standing.
DR Congo's path through as a best-third side is exactly the kind of group-stage subplot that makes the format worth defending — survive the group, and anything is possible.
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +3 | 7 |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +5 | 5 |
| 🇨🇩 DR Congo | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -9 | 0 |
Colombia top the group unbeaten, with Portugal confirmed second. DR Congo's win secures third place on 4 points and a strong shot at one of the eight best-third-placed berths into the round of 32. Uzbekistan finish bottom on zero points and are eliminated.