So close: Kane's late double denies DR Congo's fairytale as England survive in the Round of 32

DR Congo's remarkable World Cup ended in heartbreak. Brian Cipenga's early goal and a heroic rearguard had the Leopards leading England for over an hour, before Harry Kane's late brace won it 2-1 for the Three Lions. DR Congo leave with immense pride; England reach the Round of 16 to face hosts Mexico.

It came within fifteen minutes of the greatest upset of the tournament. DR Congo, the fairytale of this World Cup, led England for more than an hour in Atlanta and had the Three Lions staring at humiliation, before Harry Kane did what Harry Kane does. His late brace rescued England 2-1, but the Leopards leave with their heads held impossibly high.

The shock arrived early. On seven minutes Brian Cipenga beat Jordan Pickford at his near post, finishing a move started by captain Chancel Mbemba, and suddenly a stadium full of England fans fell silent. This was really happening.

What followed was a rearguard action for the ages. DR Congo's expensively assembled defence, marshalled by Mbemba and protected by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, threw bodies in front of everything. Mpasi denied Jude Bellingham again and again, and for over an hour England, for all their possession, could not find a way through. Sébastien Desabre's side were magnificent.

But England have a habit of finding their captain when it matters. On seventy-five minutes substitute Anthony Gordon whipped in a cross and Harry Kane met it with a precise header to level. And eleven minutes later Kane settled it, firing a powerful shot into the top corner to break Congolese hearts. Two clutch goals from a man who saves his country time and again.

For DR Congo, it is heartbreak, but their World Cup will be remembered for a generation. Fifty-two years after their only previous appearance, they qualified against 1000/1 odds, won their first-ever World Cup match, reached the Round of 32 and then took one of the tournament favourites to the wire. From a gritty draw with Portugal to this, the Leopards announced themselves to the world.

England, so nearly the story for all the wrong reasons, march on to a Round of 16 date with hosts Mexico. Thomas Tuchel's side have their captain's ruthlessness to thank, having earlier laboured through the group. The questions about their fluency will not go away, but they are still standing.

For Kenya, this one hurts. DR Congo are neighbours and family, the team East Africa adopted as its own, and to see them fall so close to a place in the last 16 is a genuine gut-punch. But the overwhelming feeling is pride: pride in a run nobody saw coming, pride in a team that refused to be overawed. Chui wa Congo wamepigana kama mashujaa, wametoka wakiwa na heshima yote ya dunia: the Leopards fought like heroes, and they leave with all the respect in the world. As the knockouts roll on, Africa still has Morocco, Senegal, Cape Verde, Algeria, Egypt and Ghana to carry the torch. Our Africa verdict saluted the Leopards, and what a story they gave us.