This is DR Congo’s first World Cup appearance since 1974, when the country competed as Zaire. The contrast is striking. The current side took four points from Portugal and Uzbekistan before advancing, giving the campaign sporting momentum as well as historical weight.
There has already been a modern reminder of football’s wider pressures. Supporter Michel Mboladinga attended the defeat by Colombia after reportedly being denied a US visa for the opening matches. The episode underlined how access, identity and international politics can still shape a tournament away from the pitch.
In 1974, Mobutu Sese Seko used Zaire’s qualification to promote his rule. Players were brought back from Belgium, while the squad was built largely around Mazembe. But the political spotlight soon became a burden.
After a 2-0 defeat by Scotland, promised payments were reportedly placed in doubt. The players then went on strike against Yugoslavia and fell 3-0 behind after 18 minutes before losing 9-0.
Mwepu later described the experience bluntly: “We were told to play, otherwise we'd be sent to a dungeon.” He also called the heavy defeat “a bit like a strike”.
Against Brazil, with the score 3-0 late on, Mwepu ran from the wall and kicked the ball away before a free-kick. For years, it was treated as comic confusion. His explanation changed the scene entirely.
The gesture was not ignorance of the rules. It was resistance from players who felt abandoned, threatened and used. That is why the upcoming meeting with England carries more than the usual knockout-stage tension: it is another chance for DR Congo to define itself on its own terms.
The next chapter will be written on the pitch, with England standing between this generation and a deeper run.