Published on 6/27/2026
President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, energized his country’s national team in an enthusiastic message ahead of its decisive World Cup match against Uzbekistan in Atlanta.
Tshisekedi said in a message on the presidential account on the X social media platform, “This confrontation is not just a football match. It is a moment of national unity, a moment in which an entire people will look towards the same direction, with the same enthusiasm, the same hope, and the same love for the flag.”
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo scored one point from two matches in Group Eleven after drawing 1-1 with Portugal and losing 1-0 to Colombia.
It must win over Uzbekistan to continue its journey in the tournament. Uzbekistan lost both matches, but can still qualify for the next stage if it wins.
The content of the message
“This Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Atlanta, you will not be alone. More than 100 million Congolese will stand behind you, our families, our youth, our elders, our provinces, our community abroad, our fans, our soldiers, our workers, our children, all united behind you,” Tshisekedi wrote.
He added, “I therefore call on all Congolese to motivate in a spirit of unity, passion and responsibility to push our team, the Panthers, towards the victory that we all hope for.”
It may have been difficult to believe that Congo could qualify for the knockout rounds months ago when the team entered the playoff stage, which included the four best teams that finished second in the African qualifiers, after failing to qualify directly.
This is the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s first participation in the World Cup since 1974 when the country was known as Zaire.
