* As Ghana fall to Croatia but remain alive in World Cup knockouts while South Africa also stand on the brink of another historic milestone at the FIFA World Cup™
Maravi Express
Democratic Republic of the Congo completed a sensational comeback to secure progression to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup™ for the first time in their history, as a brace from Yoane Wissa and one from Fiston Mayele delivered a 3-1 win over eliminated Uzbekistan.
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After back-to-back defeats, debutants Uzbekistan were clearly intent on claiming a positive result in their third FIFA World Cup™ outing, and the White Wolves thought they had taken an incredible lead after just 20 seconds.
That lightning effort from Eldor Shomurodov was ruled out for offside but the forward did break the deadlock shortly afterwards, getting the celebrations for his upcoming 31st birthday started a couple of days early as he looped home a delicious finish from a tight angle in the 10th minute.
Seven minutes later it was DR Congo’s turn to have an effort disallowed, with Nathanael Mbuku’s precise strike chalked off for a foul in the build-up.
Shomurodov almost doubled Uzbekistan’s advantage with another delicate attempt in the 51st minute, but this time the ball dropped onto the roof of the net. DR Congo then started to apply more pressure as the game wore on, and Wissa drew them level from the penalty spot in the 68th minute.
Ten minutes later a pair of substitutes combined to put DR Congo ahead, as Meschack Elia’s shot was deflected into the path of Fiston Mayele, who applied just enough of a connection to dink the loose ball over Abduvohid Nematov and into the net.
Wissa added his second in injury time with an excellent finish from the edge of the box to ensure Congo DR’s progress as one of the best third-place finishers — dating England in their Round of 32 in Atlanta on July 1.
In Philadelphia, the Black Stars of Ghana suffered their first defeat as Croatia fought back into the qualification picture with a 2-1 victory — a result that allowed Croatia to leapfrog Ghana into second place in Group L.
Ghana had already done enough to reach the knockout stage before kick-off, but Carlos Queiroz’s team missed the chance to finish the group phase unbeaten and claim second place.
Petar Sucic gave Croatia the lead with a stunning long-range strike in the first half, before Derrick Luckassen brought Ghana level with 17 minutes remaining when Nikola Vlasic punished poor marking from a late corner to head in the winner.
It handed Croatia a victory that reflected their greater attacking threat across the match and for Ghana, the defeat will be disappointing, but the Black Stars remain in the tournament and must now quickly shift focus to the knockout stage.
As South Africa stand on the brink of another historic milestone at the FIFA World Cup, coach Hugo Broos believes the secret behind Bafana Bafana’s remarkable journey extends far beyond tactics or technical ability.
Ahead of Sunday’s Round of 32 clash against Canada, the veteran Belgian coach pointed highlighted the relationship he has built with his players over the years: “Between me as a coach and them as players is maybe something unique.
“I’m the coach, but I’m not just a coach. I think I’m a friend of theirs. So the relationship between the players and me is very good.”
Having recovered from an opening defeat to hosts Mexico, Bafana Bafana fought their way into the knockout rounds with a draw against Czechia before sealing a famous victory over South Korea to reach the last 32 for the first time in the nation’s history.
Now, standing between South Africa and an unprecedented place in the quarter-finals is a Canadian side also venturing into unfamiliar territory. While much of the focus has centred on South Africa’s organisation, resilience and defensive discipline, Broos believes the unity within his squad has become one of its greatest strengths.
That togetherness has been evident throughout the tournament, with players consistently displaying a willingness to work for one another: “I just know that the players will be ready again and try to achieve the third round,” he said.
Victory over Canada would not only extend South Africa’s dream run but would establish a new benchmark in the country’s World Cup history.
“This should be even more historic. Those players are chasing those things. Those players want to prove to everyone and show that they are a good team. We will see on Sunday if we can go further.”
With history within touching distance, South Africa will look to the strength of a bond that has carried them this far as they seek to write a memorable chapter on the global stage.—Reporting by FIFA Media & CAFonline; editing by Maravi Express
Group stage results
Group A
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
South Korea 2-1 Czechia
Czech Republic 1-2 South Africa
Mexico 1-0 South Korea
South Africa 1-0 South Korea
Czech Republic 0-3 Mexico
Group B
Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland
Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada 6-0 Qatar
Switzerland 2-1 Canada
Bosnia & Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar
Group C
Brazil 1-1 Morocco
Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Scotland 0-1 Morocco
Brazil 3-0 Haiti
Morocco 4-2 Haiti
Scotland 3-0 Brazil
Group D
USA 4-1 Paraguay
Australia 2-0 Turkiye
USA 2-1 Australia
Turkiye 0-1 Paraguay
Turkiye 3-2 USA
Paraguay 0-0 Australia
Group E
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Ecuador
Germany 7-1 Curaçao
Germany 2-1 Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao
Curaçao 0-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador 2-1 Germany
Group F
Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Tunisia 0-4 Japan
Netherlands 5-1 Sweden
Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands
Sweden 1-1 Japan
Group G
Belgium 1-1 Egypt
Iran 2-2 New Zealand
Belgium 0-0
New Zealand 1-3
Egypt 1-1 Iran
New Zealand 1-5 Belgium
Group H
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay
Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde
Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia
Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia
Uruguay 0-1 Spain
Group I
France 3-1 Senegal
Iraq 1-4 Norway
Norway 3-2 Senegal
France 3-0 Iraq
Norway 1-4 France
Senegal 5-0 Iraq
Group J
Argentina 3-0 Algeria
Austria 3-1 Jordan
Argentina 2-0 Austria
Jordan 1-2 Algeria
Jordan 1-3 Argentina
Algeria 3-3 Austria
Group K
Portugal 1-1 DR Congo
Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia
Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan
Colombia 1-0 DR Congo
DR Congo 3-1 Uzbekistan
Colombia 0-0 Portugal
Group L
England 4-2 Croatia
Ghana 1-0 Panama
England 0-0 Ghana
Panama 0-1 Croatia
Panama 0-2 England
Croatia 2-1 Ghana
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