Colombia booked a spot in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 after Daniel Muñoz’s second-half strike secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over DR Congo in Group K at Estadio Guadalajara yesterday.
The narrow victory sends Los Cafeteros through to the knockout stage with a game to spare and lifts them to the top of the group, while DR Congo are left to fight for survival in their final group match against Uzbekistan.
It was a result Colombia deserved on the balance of chances. Still, one that owed plenty to the resilience of DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who produced a string of fine saves to keep the Leopards in the contest for long periods.
Colombia started brightly and looked threatening almost immediately, with Muñoz wasting a huge early chance before Mpasi was called into action several times in a frantic opening spell. James Rodríguez, Johan Mojica, Luis Díaz and Gustavo Puerta all tested the DR Congo keeper in a one-sided first half as Néstor Lorenzo’s side dominated possession and pinned the Leopards deep inside their own half.
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DR Congo struggled to build sustained attacks of their own. However, they did show flashes on the break, with Edo Kayembe firing wide inside the opening minute and Cédric Bakambu almost getting on the end of a teasing cross before the interval. Still, it was Colombia who controlled the tempo, finishing the first half with a flurry of chances but no breakthrough.
Colombia continued to probe, with Díaz remaining their liveliest outlet, while DR Congo sat compact and relied heavily on Mpasi to keep the score level. The goalkeeper again came to his side’s rescue early in the second half, denying Díaz before Jhon Arias fired wide from the rebound.
With the game threatening to drift, Colombia finally found the moment they needed in the 76th minute. Substitute Juan Quintero slipped a clever pass into the area, and as Jhon Córdoba went to ground under pressure, the loose space opened perfectly for Muñoz to charge onto the ball and fire home via a slight deflection off Mpasi.
It was the least Colombia deserved after spending much of the contest on the front foot, though they were denied a more comfortable finish when Díaz had two efforts ruled out in quick succession — one for a foul and another for offside.
To DR Congo’s credit, they did not fold. The Leopards threw bodies forward late on and nearly snatched an equaliser in stoppage time, only for Camilo Vargas to produce a brilliant diving save to preserve Colombia’s lead.
In the end, Muñoz’s goal proved enough to send Colombia through and underline their growing status as one of the more dangerous sides in the competition.
