The Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo bravely resisted thanks to an outstanding performance from their goalkeeper. But the pressure from the Cafeteros finally paid off late in the game. Now, the DRC will play for their survival against Uzbekistan, while Colombia secured their place in the round of 32.

A tense start to the match: the Mpasi show

Fueled by a stadium entirely behind them, Colombia immediately imposed a blistering pace, unleashing a veritable storm on the Congolese defense. Faced with this yellow hurricane, one man held out for a long time: Lionel Mpasi .

The Leopards' goalkeeper was imperious during the first quarter of an hour:

1. 4th minute: Decisive reflex save at close range against Luis Suarez.
2. 6th minute: A masterful fingertip save with the left hand to deny a header from Daniel Munoz (who was ultimately flagged offside).
3. 11th minute: An impressive horizontal dive to deflect a 25-meter missile from James Rodriguez.

This heroic resistance, combined with the water break, allowed Sébastien Desabre's men to catch their breath before halftime. Cédric Bakambu even came close to snatching a header just before the break, but without success.

Colombia finds the weakness, the DRC with its back to the wall

After the break, the pace dropped before the Colombian coaching staff breathed new life into the Cafeteros . Substitute Juan Quintero injected fluidity into the game and set up Daniel Munoz in the 76th minute. Munoz's shot, deflected by a Congolese defender, finally beat the unfortunate Mpasi ( 1-0 ).

Did you know? The DRC avoided a disaster at the end of the match thanks to the refereeing: two goals by Luis Diaz were logically cancelled (one for a foul on Chancel Mbemba, the other for an offside).

Despite a last chance in added time forcing Camilo Vargas to make a save, the regrets are there: the Leopards sorely lacked attacking ambition to hope for better.

Situation of Group K

Team	Points	Status
Colombia	6 points	Qualified for the round of 16 (first or second place to be determined)
DRC	-	A victory against Uzbekistan is essential to have any hope of finishing among the best third-placed teams.