Yoane Wissa needed 22 minutes of the second half to turn a losing position into a statement. Congo DR trailed Uzbekistan at the break after Eldor Shomurodov struck early, but Wissa’s penalty and a late double from him and Fiston Mayele sent the Leopards home with a 3-1 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was a night where the xG told most of the story: Congo DR finished with 2.35 to Uzbekistan’s 0.27.
Key Moments
- 10′, Shomurodov opens the scoring for Uzbekistan with a normal goal, giving Cannavaro’s side an early lead.
- 17′, Nathanael Mbuku has a goal disallowed for Congo DR via VAR review, the effort ruled out for a foul.
- 68′, Wissa steps up and converts from the penalty spot to draw Congo DR level at 1-1.
- 78′, Fiston Mayele puts Congo DR in front for the first time, turning the match on its head with a normal goal.
- 90′, Wissa finishes the game with his second goal of the night, a normal goal in stoppage time to make it 3-1.
Tactical Breakdown
Congo DR were the dominant side across most metrics despite spending 45 minutes chasing the game. Sebastien Desabre’s 4-4-2 controlled possession at 58% and generated 19 total shots, with 11 coming from inside the box. The xG gap of 2.35 to 0.27 reflected a team that consistently got into good areas, even when the finishing was loose. Passing accuracy held at 82% on 487 attempts, well above Uzbekistan’s 76%.
The turning point came through personnel changes. Bakambu had been brought off early in the second half, replaced at the 51st minute, and by the 72nd minute Desabre had used four substitutions, including removing Mbuku and Moutoussamy. The latter had already picked up a yellow card and the tactical reshaping shifted the game’s tempo, with Mayele coming on and scoring within minutes of the changes taking effect.
Fabio Cannavaro’s Uzbekistan were simply unable to threaten once their early goal was cancelled out. They managed just four total shots all match, with only one on target after Shomurodov’s opener. Conceding 16 fouls and accumulating two yellow cards, they were stretched and increasingly passive as Congo DR pushed forward. The xG of 0.27 tells you they were holding on, not creating.
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Verdict
The result closes Congo DR’s Group Stage campaign on a positive note, though the group was already won by Mexico with a perfect nine points. Uzbekistan, coached by Fabio Cannavaro, finish their World Cup debut tournament with little to show for it; a single goal from Shomurodov across this match and an xG total that reflected how rarely they genuinely threatened. Congo DR can take confidence from the second-half revival, even if the standings in this group never came down to this fixture.