Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo – DR Congo’s outstanding World Cup journey might have ended with defeat to England within the final 16, however for a lot of Congolese, the Leopards have rewritten the nation’s World Cup story.
Greater than 5 a long time after their solely earlier World Cup look, the Leopards united a rustic scarred by battle, illness outbreaks and political uncertainty, mounting a fearless marketing campaign that gave tens of millions of Congolese a uncommon sense of unity.
“It’s uncommon that I really feel proud to be Congolese. Throughout this World Cup, our nationwide workforce made us proud, as if nothing had been improper. I consider I’m witnessing the best era within the historical past of the DRC,” Héritier Muyisa, a 28-year-old pupil in Bunia, advised Al Jazeera.
From Zaire in 1974
The distinction with 1974 might hardly have been sharper. Then taking part in as Zaire, the Leopards misplaced all three matches with out scoring, struggling heavy defeats to Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil.
“We had been an excellent nation again then. Shedding by such heavy rating strains with out scoring a single objective felt like a curse,” Lukambila Jacques, 65, who watched the Leopards’ first World Cup marketing campaign, advised Al Jazeera.
No participant embodied the Leopards’ revival greater than Yoane Wissa. His three targets made him DR Congo’s first World Cup scorer and the nation’s main scorer within the match’s historical past. His towering header towards Portugal ended a 52-year watch for a World Cup objective and satisfied many supporters that the Leopards belonged on soccer’s greatest stage.
“I didn’t anticipate younger individuals like them – like us – to make greater than 100 million individuals proud,” Dorcas Mudimo, a 26-year-old resident of Bunia, advised Al Jazeera after the defeat to England.
“It’s a supply of pleasure for the entire of Central Africa.”
Making historical past
The Leopards’ run was constructed on a sequence of milestones that steadily remodeled hope into perception.
The breakthrough towards Portugal earned DR Congo a draw and sparked celebrations from Kinshasa and Goma to Bunia.
“I assumed we’d be content material simply to qualify for the World Cup. However our gamers confirmed we might compete with Portugal, Spain and different main nations,” Manassé Limbaya advised Al Jazeera, describing the marketing campaign as “stellar” from the qualifiers onwards.
“We beat Cameroon and Nigeria earlier than overcoming Jamaica within the intercontinental playoffs. That’s once we knew this workforce was able to one thing particular.”
The Leopards drew with Portugal, beat Uzbekistan, and narrowly misplaced to Colombia earlier than their dream ended towards England within the spherical of 16.
“My coronary heart was racing all through the match towards England. They’ve world-class stars, however I knew we’d give them a tough time,” Cephas Agbwabe, a resident of Bunia, advised Al Jazeera.
Closing whistle
Each DR Congo match drew packed crowds to Bunia’s viewing centres, the place celebrations typically spilled into the streets lengthy after the ultimate whistle.
In opposition to England, nevertheless, the temper shifted.
Because the match slipped away, the cheers light. When the ultimate whistle blew, many supporters stood silently, whereas others quietly walked residence of their Leopards shirts, attempting to soak up the tip of a marketing campaign that had exceeded nearly each expectation.
Regardless of ending the Leopards’ dream, England captain Harry Kane acknowledged the problem posed by the Congolese facet.
“We spoke earlier than about pounding the rock. That was our motto earlier than the sport. We knew there was going to be a troublesome rock to interrupt down, they usually proved it,” Kane mentioned afterwards.
DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre targeted much less on the end result and extra on what his gamers had achieved.
![Every Leopards match drew packed crowds to Bunia's viewing centres, where celebrations often spilled into the streets long after the final whistle [Prosper Heri/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/download-2-1783044538.jpg?resize=770%2C578&quality=80)
“It’s true that we’re disenchanted, as a result of we believed we might do it,” the Frenchman advised reporters.
“I feel we performed a great match. Ultimately, we conceded just a few possibilities. The most effective gamers on the planet scored two targets towards us.”
Desabre mentioned the defeat mirrored high quality margins quite than a gulf in high quality.
“It’s time to provide the gamers credit score for what they’ve proven. We had been maybe overwhelmed by somewhat little bit of expertise within the closing phases. That’s the character of soccer. We study, and we maintain bettering.”
Delight endures
For supporters in Bunia, elimination did little to decrease what the Leopards had achieved. Fifty-two years after leaving their solely earlier World Cup with no level or a objective, they returned to soccer’s greatest stage and confirmed they might compete with a number of the world’s most established groups.
“It was the primary time I’d heard my nation’s nationwide anthem at a World Cup finals,” Agbwabe advised Al Jazeera.
“I hope, in the future, I’ll inform my youngsters I witnessed these superb moments.”
