2026 Football Update] Full-Time: DR Congo 3 – 1 Uzbekistan. A sensational second-half comeback blitz seals a historic first-ever progression into the knockout stage! Match summaries: https://ncellapp.ncell.com.np/wSRymV
Match Summary
Goals & Key Minutes
An intense and cagey opening period completely blew open after the break, as the African side turned the match on its head to guarantee tournament survival:
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10th Minute (Goal): Uzbekistan broke the deadlock early with a sublime piece of clinical combination play. Abbosbek Fayzullaev carved out space and played a delicate flick into the path of Eldor Shomurodov, who smartly chipped the stranded goalkeeper to make it 0-1.
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17th Minute (Disallowed Goal): DR Congo thought they had found instant parity when Nathanaël Mbuku fired an absolute rocket into the back of the net. However, a lengthy video assistant referee review spotted an infringement in the buildup, and the goal was subsequently disallowed.
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68th Minute (Goal): The relentless pressure finally paid off for the Leopards. After a penalty was awarded for a foul in the area, forward Yoane Wissa stepped up with ice-cold composure and slotted the ball cleanly inside the right post to level it at 1-1.
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78th Minute (Goal): The comeback was realized just ten minutes later. Meschack Elia flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal, allowing substitute Fiston Mayele to smartly flick it past the keeper for 2-1.
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90th Minute (Goal): The definitive dagger arrived right at the end of regulation time. Yoane Wissa picked up possession right outside the box and curled an exquisite effort into the far corner to finish the night at 3-1.
Group Impact & Standings
The final round of Group K matches sets up the final standings and confirms the line-ups for the round of 32 knockout bracket:
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DR Congo: The high-stakes win bumps DR Congo up to 4 points, successfully guiding them into the knockout round as one of the best third-placed setups. They advance to face a formidable England side.
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Uzbekistan: Despite showing flashes of brilliant offensive threat early on, the team finishes at the bottom of Group K with 0 points, ending their international tournament campaign.