DR Congo call match against Uzbekistan a "matter of life and death"

In Group K of the 2026 World Cup, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan national teams, currently occupying the bottom two spots, still maintain a chance to advance to the playoff stage.

Both teams suffered defeats in the second round of the group stage. Uzbekistan lost 0-5 to Portugal, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo suffered a narrow defeat to Colombia. Consequently, the Congolese missed the opportunity to secure their progression early.

Sebastien Desabre, head coach of the Democratic Republic of the Congo national team, shared his thoughts on the loss to Colombia and the upcoming decisive clash with Uzbekistan.

"We must accept this defeat, keep our heads high, and return to the fight as quickly as possible. Of course, a draw would have been better, but it must be admitted that Colombia was stronger.

They controlled the ball very well, and we entered the game too late. We performed much better in the second half, but that is football. Now we must analyze what happened and move forward," said Desabre.

The coach noted that the team is pleased to have scored its first World Cup goal in the opening match against Portugal. The Congolese view this as valuable experience.

"We are happy with our first goal and consider it part of the learning process. The match against Uzbekistan will not be easy because they defend well. But we will give everything on the pitch. Right now, the most important thing is to rest and recover strength," the coach added.

Lilian Tshimpumpu, General Secretary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Football Federation, also described the third-round match against Uzbekistan as a decisive battle for the team.

"We were placed in a very difficult group and have already played against the main favorites of the tournament. Now, the clash with Uzbekistan can be called a 'game of life' for our national team. Our players have also started speaking openly about this.

I believe Uzbekistan will try to show their best performance of the tournament and secure their first points specifically in the match against us," said Tshimpumpu.

Currently, Colombia leads Group K with 6 points. Portugal is second with 4 points, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is third with 1 point. Uzbekistan, with no points yet, occupies the bottom of the group.

The decisive match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan will take place on June 28 in the USA. The match starts at 04:30 Tashkent time.