‘They gave their best’: Congolese reflect on historic World Cup run

Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo – DR Congo’s remarkable World Cup journey may have ended with defeat to England in the last 16, but for many Congolese, the Leopards have rewritten the country’s World Cup story.

More than five decades after their only previous World Cup appearance, the Leopards united a country scarred by conflict, disease outbreaks and political uncertainty, mounting a fearless campaign that gave millions of Congolese a rare sense of unity.

“It’s rare that I feel proud to be Congolese. During this World Cup, our national team made us proud, as if nothing were wrong. I believe I am witnessing the greatest generation in the history of the DRC,” Héritier Muyisa, a 28-year-old student in Bunia, told Al Jazeera.

From Zaire in 1974

The contrast with 1974 could hardly have been sharper. Then playing as Zaire, the Leopards lost all three matches without scoring, suffering heavy defeats to Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil.

“We were a great nation back then. Losing by such heavy score lines without scoring a single goal felt like a curse,” Lukambila Jacques, 65, who watched the Leopards’ first World Cup campaign, told Al Jazeera.

No player embodied the Leopards’ revival more than Yoane Wissa. His three goals made him DR Congo’s first World Cup scorer and the country’s leading scorer in the tournament’s history. His towering header against Portugal ended a 52-year wait for a World Cup goal and convinced many supporters that the Leopards belonged on football’s biggest stage.

“I didn’t expect young people like them – like us – to make more than 100 million people proud,” Dorcas Mudimo, a 26-year-old resident of Bunia, told Al Jazeera after the defeat to England.

“It’s a source of pride for the whole of Central Africa.”

Making history

The Leopards’ run was built on a series of milestones that steadily transformed hope into belief.

The breakthrough against Portugal earned DR Congo a draw and sparked celebrations from Kinshasa and Goma to Bunia.

In Bunia, since the start of the World Cup, many fans had been celebrating after every DR Congo match, but the game against England brought many streets to a standstill [Prosper Heri/Al Jazeera]

“I thought we’d be content just to qualify for the World Cup. But our players showed we could compete with Portugal, Spain and other major nations,” Manassé Limbaya told Al Jazeera, describing the campaign as “stellar” from the qualifiers onwards.

“We beat Cameroon and Nigeria before overcoming Jamaica in the intercontinental playoffs. That’s when we knew this team was capable of something special.”

The Leopards drew with Portugal, beat Uzbekistan, and narrowly lost to Colombia before their dream ended against England in the round of 16.

“My heart was racing throughout the match against England. They have world-class stars, but I knew we would give them a hard time,” Cephas Agbwabe, a resident of Bunia, told Al Jazeera.

Final whistle

Every DR Congo match drew packed crowds to Bunia’s viewing centres, where celebrations often spilled into the streets long after the final whistle.

Against England, however, the mood shifted.

As the match slipped away, the cheers faded. When the final whistle blew, many supporters stood silently, while others quietly walked home in their Leopards shirts, trying to absorb the end of a campaign that had exceeded almost every expectation.

Despite ending the Leopards’ dream, England captain Harry Kane acknowledged the challenge posed by the Congolese side.

“We spoke before about pounding the rock. That was our motto before the game. We knew there was going to be a tough rock to break down, and they proved it,” Kane said afterwards.

DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre focused less on the result and more on what his players had achieved.

Every DR Congo 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]

“It’s true that we’re disappointed, because we believed we could do it,” the Frenchman told reporters.

“I think we played a good match. In the end, we conceded a few chances. One of the best players in the world scored two goals against us.”

Desabre said the defeat reflected fine margins rather than a gulf in quality.

“It’s time to give the players credit for what they’ve shown. We were perhaps beaten by a little bit of experience in the closing stages. That’s the nature of football. We learn, and we keep improving.”

Pride endures

For supporters in Bunia, elimination did little to diminish what the Leopards had achieved. Fifty-two years after leaving their only previous World Cup without a point or a goal, they returned to football’s biggest stage and showed they could compete with some of the world’s most established teams.

“It was the first time I’d heard my country’s national anthem at a World Cup finals,” Agbwabe told Al Jazeera.

“I hope, one day, I’ll tell my children I witnessed these glorious moments.”