NEW DELHI: Daniel Muñoz scored the decisive goal as Colombia beat Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 on Tuesday to become one of the first teams to secure their place in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.The defender found the breakthrough in the 76th minute after a tense match in Guadalajara.
Muñoz’s left-footed shot from inside the penalty area hit a defender before hitting the net, leaving no chance for Democratic Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mbasi.
It was Muñoz’s second goal of the tournament and was enough to give Colombia their second successive win in Group K.For most of the match, Mbasi kept DR Congo in the match with an impressive performance. The goalkeeper made five difficult saves in the first 20 minutes, as Colombia controlled the ball and created many chances.
The Democratic Republic of Congo almost achieved a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time. Nathaniel Mpoko tested Colombia’s goalkeeper Camilo Vargas with a powerful long-range shot, but Vargas blocked it wonderfully. Moments later, he blocked Chancel Mbemba’s header from the resulting corner to preserve Colombia’s lead.Colombia thought they had settled the game late on through Luis Diaz, but the Liverpool striker saw two goals disallowed in the space of two minutes.
One was disallowed for a foul and the other for offside.
The African team excelled in its opening match when it tied with Portugal led by Cristiano Ronaldo 1-1, but was unable to repeat this result against a decisive Colombian team.With six points from two matches, Colombia leads Group K and has booked its place in the round of 32. Portugal is in second place after beating Uzbekistan 5-0, while the Democratic Republic of Congo remains with one point.
A draw with Portugal in their final group match would be enough for Colombia to finish top of the group.The match also saw the return of famous Democratic Congolese fan Michel Ngcuka Mboladinga, known as “Lumumba Via”. The fan, who caused a sensation during the Africa Cup of Nations for standing like a statue throughout the matches, attended the match after missing the team’s opening match due to Ebola-related quarantine rules.Colombia, which failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, made an impressive return to the tournament with two successive victories. Veteran playmaker James Rodriguez has also reached a milestone, joining Colombian greats Fredy Rincon and Carlos Valderrama in 10 World Cup appearances.