DR Congo
UzbekistanBoth teams had first-half goals ruled out by VAR — Shomurodov's chip at 23 seconds for offside, and Mbuku's equaliser at 17 minutes for an arm foul in the build-up — which kept the scoreline at 1-0 heading into the break. The match turned entirely in the second half: Uzbekistan's organised block, solid for 67 minutes, gave way the moment Khusanov conceded the penalty, and DR Congo's second-half xG of 2.14 tells you everything about what followed. Three goals in twenty-two minutes was not a fluke; it was the product of a better team finding its legs.
DR Congo
The Leopards absorbed Uzbekistan's early lead without panic, knowing they had come from behind before in this tournament. Yoane Wissa was the match's defining figure: he won and converted the 68th-minute penalty that levelled proceedings, then curled a low strike into the corner in stoppage time to seal the win. Fiston Mayele — introduced at half-time — provided the decisive go-ahead goal at 78 minutes, and Meschack Elia's persistence down the left created the move. Coach Desabre afterwards had words that said everything: the players were extraordinary.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan played their most disciplined football of the tournament in the first half, leading through Shomurodov's technically excellent lob in the 10th minute and defending with the compact structure that has made them stubborn opponents throughout the group stage. The deficit arrived when Khusanov conceded the penalty, and the collapse thereafter was swift — three goals in twenty-three minutes underlined the gulf in depth when the occasion truly demanded more. Fabio Cannavaro noted that at this level small mistakes cost everything, and his side paid in full.