2026 World Cup: the Léopards aim for a double blow against Uzbekistan

The Leopards of the DRC have a date with history tonight (11:30 pm GMT) as they face Uzbekistan, on the occasion of the last matchday of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup. Third in the group (1 point), the Congolese meet a team from Uzbekistan occupying the last position (0 points). This match looks like a real final in Group K for the third and last qualifying spot for the round of 32. In fact, the top two places are already assured for Colombia, current group leader (6 points), and Portugal, currently second (4 points), who will play each other for the top spot also tonight (11:30 pm GMT).

Taking more risks

Defeated by Colombia on the second matchday (1-0) after managing a draw against Portugal in the first game (1-1), the Congolese have their fate in their own hands regarding qualification. A win, whatever the score, is mandatory for them to secure the ticket to the round of 32. And for this decisive match, Sébastien Desabre and his men will take more risks than in their first two games, where they had rather played with a defensive setup.

“We are focused on our match. We got the point we needed against Portugal so that if we win against Uzbekistan, we can qualify. We were a lot more defensive than offensive in our first two matches against very good opponents, but against Uzbekistan, we are going to take a lot more offensive risks to go and score because, as we know, a draw will not be enough,” said the French coach at the pre-match press conference.

Making even more history

The DRC is still chasing its first ever victory at a World Cup, a feat the Leopards hope to accomplish tonight against Uzbekistan. This would come after managing to score their country’s first-ever World Cup goal and earn their first point in history thanks to the draw against Portugal (1-1). This victory, if achieved, would be doubly sweet: beyond being DRC’s first in this prestigious global competition, it would also give the Leopards their first qualification to the second round of the World Cup.

This motivation is even stronger for the players, like Noah Sadiki, who nonetheless respects the opponent. “It will be as difficult a match as the first two, even if there are no big names in the Uzbekistan team. We have the quality to do better than in the first two games. We have to go and score goals to finally get this victory,” he said.

If they qualify as third in Group K, the Leopards will face the first-place team in Group L in the round of 32, which could be England.‎