Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa has declared that DR Congo are ready for the challenge of facing England after inspiring his country to a historic place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 29-year-old struck twice as DR Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 on Saturday, securing the nation’s first-ever victory at a FIFA World Cup and sealing qualification for the Round of 32 for the first time in their history.
Yoane Wissa has joined an exclusive list of African World Cup goalscorers after becoming only the fourth player from the continent to score three goals in a single FIFA World Cup group stage. The DR Congo forward joins Senegal’s Papa Bouba Diop, who achieved the feat in 2002, alongside Morocco’s Ismael Saibari and Senegal’s Ismaïla Sarr, who both reached the milestone at the 2026 tournament.
The result against Uzbekistan ensured the Leopards finished third in Group K, setting up a mouth watering last 32 encounter with England as one of the tournament’s best performing third-placed teams.
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Despite the daunting task ahead, Wissa insisted his teammates will embrace the challenge with the same fighting spirit that carried them into the knockout rounds.
“We love our national team. We love what we represent. I think tonight we just showed what it means for us is just to fight no matter what,” Wissa said after the victory.
The Newcastle striker’s match winning display capped another memorable day for African football, with DR Congo joining Cape Verde among the surprise packages to progress beyond the group stage.
The clash against England will represent the biggest match in the country’s World Cup history, with the African side aiming to continue a fairytale run that has already produced one of the tournament’s biggest stories.
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Their progress is a testament of growing influence of African nations at the expanded 48-team World Cup. Of the continent’s 10 representatives, only Tunisia failed to reach the knockout stage, making Africa one of the biggest beneficiaries of FIFA’s expanded tournament format.
