The Leopards’ goal was scored by Yoan Wissa
Kinshasa, June 17th, 2026 (ACP). – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are on the verge of reaching the second round following their 1-1 draw against Portugal on Wednesday at the NRG Stadium in Houston, USA, on the opening day of Group K of the 2026 World Cup, which is being held from June 11th to July 19th in the USA, in Canada and in Mexico.
In this opening match of the group, Portugal’s Seleçao, who had an easy start to the game and dominated possession for nearly five minutes, have found the back of the net with an early header from Joao Neves (6th minute). Facing the Leopards, who have taken some time to get into the game, the Portuguese quickly believed they were in for an easy win. But as the minutes ticked by, the Leopards, having shaken off their early lethargy, began to get to grips with the game. And so, in the dying moments of the first half, the Leopards – with nothing to lose and fully aware of the danger of a first defeat in the competition – put the Portuguese defense under pressure, with the Leopards’ equalizer coming via Yoan Wissa (45th minute), who headed home from a decisive pass by Arthur Maswaku following a corner taken from the right towards the left.
The Congolese striker, who has risen higher than any other player from either side in Portugal’s penalty area, sent the ball into the back of the net. With the score at 1–1, the match has remained tied until the final whistle, despite the efforts of both teams and the substitutions made by both managers. The DRC (46th in the June 2026 FIFA rankings), considered underdogs compared to Portugal (5th) on the world stage, has defied all expectations, just as Cape Verde – in true newcomer fashion – had forced Spain to a goalless draw in Group H. Indeed, for the millions of Congolese, this positive draw on the first match day of the group stage is worth as much as a victory, which has simply not been called by that name. At the pre-match press conference, the DRC’s national team manager had hinted, somewhat cryptically, that the Leopards had to secure four points to progress to the second round of the competition. Having secured this point from the draw, the quest for the three points they need will take place against Colombia or Uzbekistan, on the second and third match days of Group K respectively.
Fixtures for the second match day of Group K
Tuesday June 23rd: Portugal v Uzbekistan, at 1.00 pm local time and 6.00 pm Kinshasa time, at the Houston Stadium; followed by Colombia v DRC, at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico, at 10.00 pm local time, 5.00 am in Kinshasa. CPA/