Kinshasa [DR Congo], July 2 (ANI): DR Congo president Moise Katumbi hailed the men's national side after their round of 32 exit in the ongoing FIFA World Cup after a 2-1 loss to England on Wednesday.
Despite an opening goal by Brian Cipenga in the seventh minute, which kept DR Congo in command for the vast majority of the match, two late strikes from England skipper Harry Kane in the 75th and 86th minutes swung the game in England's favour, booking them a round of 16 clash against Mexico.
Posting on X, Katumbi hailed the "valiant Leopards" and the head coach, Sebastien Desabre, for "soothing the hearts of all Congolese" with a historic qualification to the knockout stage, expressing pride in the team's performance.
"To our valiant #Leopards and to Coach Desabre, I want to say thank you! Beyond your fabulous run in this World Cup, you managed the feat of soothing the hearts of all Congolese at a time when our Nation is so deeply divided. Even today, you were heroic. We, the Congolese, are proud of you!," posted Katumbi.
DR Congo produced one of the standout performances of the knockout stage before narrowly falling to England. Brian Cipenga stunned the Three Lions with the opening goal in the seventh minute, finishing at the back post after a swift counterattack to score his first international goal.
The African side frustrated England throughout the first half with disciplined defending and aggressive pressing, limiting clear-cut chances while goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi made several important interventions. They carried a deserved 1-0 lead into the break in what was their first-ever World Cup knockout match.
England manager Thomas Tuchel responded with attacking substitutions in the second half, introducing Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka before later bringing on Eberechi Eze as his side increased the pressure.
Captain Harry Kane eventually broke Congo DR's resistance in the 75th minute, finishing from close range after sustained pressure. The striker completed the comeback in the 86th minute with his second goal of the night, sealing a 2-1 victory and England's place in the Round of 16, where they will face co-hosts Mexico.
Although their campaign ended in defeat, DR Congo exceeded expectations at the tournament. They opened their Group K campaign with a 1-1 draw against Portugal, suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Colombia, and secured qualification for the knockout stage with an impressive 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, marking the country's most memorable World Cup run in more than five decades. (ANI)
