52 years in the making: DR Congo come from behind to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 for a first-ever World Cup win

DR Congo claimed the first World Cup victory in their history, coming from behind to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and reach the Round of 32. Eldor Shomurodov chipped Uzbekistan ahead before a Yoane Wissa double (one penalty) and a Fiston Mayele strike completed the comeback. The Leopards finish third in Group K and face England next.

Fifty-two years of waiting ended in a roar in Atlanta. DR Congo came from behind to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and claim the first World Cup victory in their history, a result that carried the Leopards into the Round of 32 and turned one of the tournament's great underdog stories into something unforgettable. The only previous time this nation graced the World Cup was as Zaire in 1974, when they lost all three. This time, they made history.

It did not start as a fairytale. Uzbekistan caught the Leopards cold on ten minutes when Eldor Shomurodov spotted goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi off his line and executed a stunning, looping chip from inside the box. The debutants held their shape and frustrated DR Congo for nearly an hour.

Then the dam broke. Sébastien Desabre's half-time adjustments transformed the game, and on sixty-eight minutes Yoane Wissa was brought down in the box by Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov. Wissa picked himself up and rolled the penalty into the bottom corner to level it.

The comeback was on. Ten minutes later substitute Fiston Mayele sent the stadium into delirium, prodding home a deflected Meschack Elia shot to put DR Congo ahead for the first time. And in stoppage time Wissa sealed it, drilling a curling effort from the edge of the area to make it 3-1 and complete a personal double.

The numbers told of total second-half control: nineteen shots to three. Newcastle forward Wissa took his tournament tally to three goals, cementing his status as one of the breakout stars of the group stage, the clinical edge on a team built on Desabre's disciplined, hard-working structure.

DR Congo finish third in Group K with four points, advancing behind group winners Colombia and second-placed Portugal, after a foundation laid by a gritty draw with Portugal and despite a narrow loss to Colombia. Their reward is a Round of 32 tie with England in Atlanta. Uzbekistan, on their debut under Fabio Cannavaro, go out winless, eliminated alongside South Korea.

For Kenya, this one hits home like few others. DR Congo are neighbours and fellow members of the East African Community, and with no Harambee Stars at the finals, Kenyans have adopted the Leopards as their own. A regional brother defying 1000/1 odds to reach the knockouts has sparked pride from Nairobi to Kinshasa, the kind of run that gets the whole region dancing rhumba. Wandugu zetu wa Congo wameandika historia, bara zima linacheza nao: our Congolese brothers have made history, and the whole continent is dancing with them. Like Cape Verde's fairytale, this is Africa at its most joyful. Our Africa round-one verdict saluted the Leopards' resilience, while our Asia verdict had backed Uzbekistan to spring a surprise on debut.