By Trevor Stynes
ATLANTA, June 27 (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo's only previous World Cup appearance left a shadow over the country's soccer history, but more than half a century later they wrote a new chapter in Atlanta by clinching a place in the knockout stages on Saturday.
DR Congo players collapsed to the turf before celebrating a historic 3-1 win over Uzbekistan which sealed their spot in the Round of 32 as one of eight best third-placed sides.
Their first World Cup was unforgettable
for all the wrong reasons, but 52 years later Congo have made their mark on the tournament in the best way possible.
In 1974, with the country then called Zaire, they exited the tournament in embarrassing fashion after three defeats in which they failed to score and conceded 14 goals, including a 9-0 hammering by Yugoslavia.
In 2026, DR Congo had already restored their image in their opening Group K match with Portugal, scoring their first World Cup goal and earning their first point when they held their Cristiano Ronaldo-led opponents to a 1-1 draw.
A 1-0 loss to Colombia followed but the Congolese went into Saturday's clash with Uzbekistan knowing a win would see them advance and they duly delivered despite going in a goal behind at the break.
DR Congo arrived in the U.S. on the back of an Ebola outbreak which disrupted pre-tournament plans, and little was expected of a side which needed 13 games to qualify, including an inter-confederation win over Jamaica after extra time.
Their debut World Cup came 14 years after independence from Belgium and following their first qualifying campaign. They went to West Germany on the back of winning their second Africa Cup of Nations, but those dizzy heights seemed unlikely to return.
Until now, when this team have restored pride to a country scarred by decades of war and frequent political upheaval, and currently in the midst of a medical emergency.
Like many African nations, DR Congo have made good use of their large diaspora and that was evident on the pitch and in the stands on Saturday.
French-born Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa, who scored against Portugal, netted twice and, with no fans allowed to travel from the country to the U.S., that diaspora was loudly present at the stadium and went singing into the Atlanta night.
In 1974, they were Africa's sole representatives. Now the continent has 10 teams involved, double the number at the last World Cup thanks to FIFA's expansion of the tournament, and its teams have proved they more than deserve to be here.
Eight African sides have now reached the knockout stages, with Tunisia the only team eliminated and Algeria still in contention. DR Congo's reward is another game in Atlanta against Group L winners England on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Ken Ferris)
