Kane's Heroics Seal Dramatic England Win
England Overcomes Early Deficit with Kane's Late Heroics to Edge Impressive DR Congo 2-1
Key Points
Yoane Wissa struck the post in the first half after a deflected Wan-Bissaka cross, narrowly missing a second Congo breakthrough before halftime.
Lionel Mpasi, Congo's backup goalkeeper from Le Havre, produced a string of crucial saves, including denying Jude Bellingham, as the 1-0 lead stayed intact for longer.
Kane's penalty appeal was waved away by referee Adham Makhadmeh after he went down in the box and contact was deemed not a foul.
Chancel Mbemba flicked a ball over the top to release Brian Cipenga for Congo's seventh-minute opener.
DR Congo's progress is linked to a recruitment drive for dual-national players raised in Europe, and their first World Cup appearance since 1974—this is only their second World Cup—highlighting a rising level of competitiveness.
Harry Kane rescued England from a shocking World Cup exit on July 1, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes to beat DR Congo 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Congo's Brian Cipenga had put the Leopards ahead in just the seventh minute, and England looked set for humiliation before Kane struck in the 75th and 86th minutes to send the Three Lions into the Round of 16. The Guardian called it England "flirting with an ignominious exit."
Kane became the first English player to score twice in a World Cup knockout game since Gary Lineker against Cameroon in 1990, CNN reported. England will now face co-host Mexico in the Round of 16 on July 5. The attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was 68,239.
Cipenga's Early Strike Stuns England in Atlanta
Chancel Mbemba played a diagonal ball over the top in the seventh minute. It caught Djed Spence out of position and released Brian Cipenga, who finished low past Jordan Pickford. Congo's 4-3-3 counter-attacking system, set up by manager Sébastien Desabre, was working perfectly. England held 56% of the ball in the first half but managed just one shot on target, ca.sports.yahoo.com reported.
Congo nearly doubled the lead in the 43rd minute. Yoane Wissa hit the post after a deflected cross from Wan-Bissaka. Seconds later, Harry Kane went down in the box under a challenge from goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi. Referee Adham Makhadmeh waved the penalty away. VAR confirmed the decision, ruling Kane was already falling before contact. The call sparked fierce debate, with pundits agreeing contact existed but that Kane "went to ground too easily," according to Daily Mail.
Mpasi's One-Man Mission to Deny England
Lionel Mpasi, a backup goalkeeper at Le Havre, was the story of the first 70 minutes. The 23-year-old made seven crucial saves, including a point-blank stop from a Jude Bellingham header in the 30th minute. The Guardian described it as a "one-man mission." Bellingham was so stunned he reportedly embraced Mpasi on the pitch moments after the save.
Mpasi represents the new wave of Congo's squad. Like Cipenga, who plays for Castellon in Spain, he is part of an aggressive recruitment drive targeting dual-national players raised in Europe. This is only DR Congo's second World Cup appearance — their first since 1974, when they competed as Zaire — and their performance showed how far the program has come, CNN noted.
Tuchel's Triple Change Unlocks the Congolese Defense
Thomas Tuchel acted in the 61st minute, bringing on Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon for Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke. The substitutions changed the game. Tuchel also moved Declan Rice to right-back to add defensive stability and width. It was called a "masterstroke" by Football 360. England's pace on the flanks suddenly gave Congo problems they had not faced all match.
In the 75th minute, Gordon crossed from the left and Kane headed home to make it 1-1. Then, four minutes from time, Bellingham forced another save from Mpasi. The rebound fell to Kane, who fired into the top corner. "We knew it wouldn't be easy," Kane told the Associated Press. "They were organized and their keeper was in inspired form, but we stayed patient."
Congo's Historic Run Unites a Nation and Its Diaspora
For DR Congo, the defeat felt like more than a loss. The Guardian and ca.sports.yahoo.com both noted the global reaction to Congo's performance, with African and international outlets framing it as a "historic day." Wissa said the team had inspired millions, calling it a "significant period in modern Congolese football." Congo qualified for this tournament as the highest-ranked third-placed team from the group stage, a first for the country at this level.
The match also caused brief chaos in live betting markets. Early confusion over the scoreline led to volatility, with some platforms wrongly flagging a 1-1 halftime score before clarifying that Congo's 1-0 lead held until the 75th minute. For England, the narrow escape raises serious questions ahead of a Round of 16 tie against Mexico — a co-host nation playing on home soil.
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