Colombia finally broke down a stubborn DR Congo side on Tuesday to secure a 1-0 win that guaranteed their place in the World Cup knockout rounds.
Victory in Guadalajara, courtesy of a 76th-minute goal from Daniel Muñoz, took them to the top of Group K with six points—two clear of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal with one game to go in the first round.
Portugal, held 1-1 by DR Congo in their opening match, earlier hammered Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston, with Ronaldo scoring twice.
Colombian fans turned the Mexican stadium into a sea of yellow, vastly outnumbering supporters of the African nation.
The South Americans, who beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in their tournament opener, dominated the early stages, peppering Lionel Mpasi’s goal.
Munoz squandered an early chance and shortly afterwards had a goal ruled out for offside while James Rodriguez unleashed a stinging shot that was brilliantly saved as Colombia kept probing.
Mpasi made further sharp stops from Johan Mojica and Luis Diaz as the Colombians, playing with pace and invention, continued to dominate.
But their intensity dipped after the first drinks break, allowing the Democratic Republic of Congo to edge back into the contest and pose their own occasional threat.
Mpasi made another stunning save with his leg from Diaz in the 50th minute to keep the game goalless.
DR Congo briefly threatened, but Crystal Palace defender Munoz made up for his first-half miss when his shot was deflected past a wrong-footed Mpasi.
The African team did not give up, and as the clock ticked past 90 minutes, Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was forced to scramble to his left to turn a fierce Nathanael Mbuku shot behind.
Colombia, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will face Portugal in Miami on Saturday, while the DR Congo takes on Uzbekistan in Atlanta.
The Africans still have an outside chance of reaching the last 32 in their first appearance at the World Cup since 1974, when the country was known as Zaire.
By AFP
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