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Colombia, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will complete their group-stage campaign against Portugal in Miami on Saturday.
Daniel Munoz celebrates after scoring against DR Congo. (AP Photo)
Colombia booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage having to dig deep for a 1-0 win over DR Congo in Guadalajara on Tuesday, thanks to Daniel Munoz’s late winner. The decisive moment arrived in the 76th minute when Munoz’s effort took a deflection and beat goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, ending a frustrating evening for Colombia and securing a second straight win in Group K.
The result moved Colombia to the top of the standings on six points, two ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal with one group match remaining. Earlier in the day, Portugal cruised to a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in Houston, with Ronaldo scoring twice, after being held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opening fixture.
Backed by a huge travelling support that transformed the stadium into a sea of yellow, Colombia started brightly and quickly took control of possession and territory. Having opened their campaign with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, the South Americans looked intent on continuing that momentum.
Munoz was involved early, missing a promising opportunity before later seeing the ball in the net only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. James Rodriguez also came close, forcing Mpasi into an excellent save as Colombia repeatedly tested the DR Congo defence.
Mpasi proved to be the visitors’ standout performer for long stretches of the contest. The goalkeeper denied Johan Mojica and Luis Diaz with a series of sharp interventions as Colombia attacked with speed and creativity.
Despite spending much of the opening period on the back foot, DR Congo gradually settled after the first drinks break. Colombia’s relentless pressure eased slightly, allowing the Africans to gain a foothold in the match and create occasional openings of their own.
The deadlock remained intact early in the second half thanks to another superb stop from Mpasi, who stuck out a leg to deny Diaz in the 50th minute.
With Colombia continuing to push forward, the breakthrough eventually came from an unlikely source. Crystal Palace defender Munoz, who had endured a frustrating first half, redeemed himself when his shot was deflected beyond a wrong-footed Mpasi to put Colombia ahead.
DR Congo refused to fold and nearly snatched a late equaliser. Deep into stoppage time, Camilo Vargas was forced into a scrambling save, diving to his left to push away a powerful effort from Nathanael Mbuku.
Colombia, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will complete their group-stage campaign against Portugal in Miami on Saturday. DR Congo, meanwhile, face Uzbekistan in Atlanta.
The Africans still retain an outside chance of advancing to the last 32 in their first World Cup appearance since 1974, when the country competed under the name Zaire.
About the Author
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
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