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Nine shots on target. Seven saves from Lionel Mpasi. A disallowed goal. A close-range miss in the fifth minute. Colombia did everything right for 75 minutes, only to find a goalkeeper in the form of his life standing between them and the result they needed. Then Daniel Muñoz simply hit it harder. Colombia 1-0. The Round of 32 is confirmed. Mpasi had given everything. It was not enough.
Early Chaos — Both Ways
DR Congo almost stole the lead before most fans had settled in their seats. Edo Kayembe unleashed a blistering long-range strike in the first minute that whistled just wide of Camilo Vargas’ left post. A warning. Four minutes later, Luis Díaz cut open the Congolese left flank and picked out Daniel Muñoz six yards from goal, completely unmarked. Muñoz lashed it wide. A miss that summed up the first half to come.
Two minutes after that, Muñoz thought he had made immediate amends. Mpasi produced a spectacular save to deny his initial header, but the rebound fell back to Muñoz, who nodded it in. Celebrations. Then VAR. Then silence. Offside. Three moments in seven minutes — a long-range scare, a close-range miss, a goal ruled out. The match had barely started, and it had already told you everything it was going to be.
The Wall Called Mpasi
Colombia dominated from the first whistle to the last, and yet could not find a way through for a long time. The numbers tell the story starkly: nine shots on target across the 90 minutes, against a goalkeeper who had to be at his absolute best for all of them. Mpasi’s most important intervention came in the 50th minute when Luis Díaz danced through two Congolese defenders and struck a low left-footed effort toward the bottom corner — Mpasi extended a crucial boot and turned it aside. Seven saves in total. A one-man defensive operation.
DR Congo had their own threat. Just before half-time, Arthur Masuaku curled an inviting cross to the back post for Cédric Bakambu, who rose well but could only head over the crossbar. For a team under that kind of sustained pressure, finding those counter-moments showed real discipline. Colombia’s goalkeeper Camilo Vargas had one save to make all evening. One.
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76th Minute: Muñoz Has the Last Word
It had to be him. After the miss, the disallowed goal, and 70-odd minutes of sustained pressure that produced nothing, Daniel Muñoz received the ball inside the area in the 76th minute and this time left Mpasi with no answer — smashing his finish home with the conviction of a man who had been waiting for that moment all evening. Colombia 1-0. The stadium exhaled. Los Cafeteros were through.
There was no further scoring. DR Congo pushed late but without the creativity to genuinely threaten Vargas. The final whistle brought Colombia’s celebrations and a quiet. Congo need to find their chances in the next match.
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Group K: Colombia Through, the Rest Still Playing
Colombia are confirmed in the Round of 32 with six points from two matches, top of Group K. Portugal, despite their 5-0 win over Uzbekistan in their previous game, must wait to confirm their own progress. DR Congo are in a difficult position heading into their final group fixture — one point from two matches, needing a result. Uzbekistan are effectively eliminated.
For Colombia, the task now is to maintain the attacking fluency that has characterised their group stage campaign. Luis Díaz has been exceptional. The full-backs are a constant threat. The questions — how they perform when the opposition quality rises in the knockout rounds — will be answered soon enough. Tonight, though, belongs to Muñoz. And perhaps, quietly, to Mpasi.
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