Four-back gamble, no Bakambu, two wingers wide: how Desabre's bold calls almost stunned England at World Cup 2026

DR Congo led until the 75th infinitesimal earlier being overturned by England (1-2) connected Wednesday successful the past 32 of the 2026 World Cup. They came agonisingly adjacent to 1 of the tournament's biggest upsets. Manager Sebastien Desabre made immoderate bold decisions that precise astir proved correct, with the Leopards making the Three Lions uncertainty themselves for agelong stretches.

Having reached the past 32 for the archetypal clip successful their history, DR Congo were intelligibly the underdogs against England. That did not halt the Leopards from making their high-profile opponents profoundly uncomfortable, opening the scoring done Brian Cipenga successful the seventh infinitesimal earlier yet succumbing to a Harry Kane brace precocious connected (75th, 86th).

'We are disappointed due to the fact that we truly believed. We played a bully match. In the closing stages, we gave distant 2 situations and 1 of the champion players successful the satellite scored 2 goals. It is simply a shame' — Desabre, speaking to beIN Sports aft the last whistle. [Note: archetypal French wording; nary verified English mentation found.]

No five-man defence

In their archetypal 2 radical matches, erstwhile facing opponents ranked higher connected paper, DR Congo had deployed a five-man antiaircraft line, holding Portugal to a 1-1 gully and holding retired until the 76th infinitesimal earlier losing 1-0 to Colombia. With their backs against the partition for the last radical crippled against Uzbekistan (3-1), Desabre had switched to 4 defenders against a much manageable opponent, dropping Steve Kapuadi. While the anticipation was for a instrumentality to 5 astatine the backmost against England, Desabre amazed everyone by sticking with four.

Brian Cipenga gives Congo DR an aboriginal lead! ???#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Kja8Lgt4H0

And it hardly showed. DR Congo defended successful a 4-5-1 shape, their artifact sitting progressively deeper arsenic the crippled went on. With the wide players and midfielder Ngal'ayel Mukau regularly tucking successful to enactment the antiaircraft unit, the Leopards held steadfast for agelong stretches, aided successful nary tiny portion by the 5 saves from goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau.

No Bakambu, nary problem

Desabre's different large telephone was to permission retired Cedric Bakambu, the Leopards' standout subordinate of the past decennary and 1 extremity distant from equalling Dieumerci Mbokani's all-time scoring grounds for the nationalist side. Against Uzbekistan, replacing the Real Betis guardant — little mobile and little prolific successful caller months — with Fiston Mayele had changed the crippled entirely, the substitute going connected to people the decisive 2-1 goal.

Fierté. ??#FIFAWorldCup | @FecofaRdc pic.twitter.com/yvBVUlZRQv

In spot of some Kapuadi and Bakambu, Desabre fielded 2 wide forwards: Nathanael Mbuku connected the close and Brian Cipenga connected the left. The second scored a superb opener, celebrating with a memorable pirouette. Both wingers brought gait and mobility to the side, and their velocity connected the antagonistic caused existent damage, with Cipenga getting the amended of a struggling Djed Spence — identified arsenic England's third-choice right-back and their evident antiaircraft anemic link. Their antiaircraft enactment complaint besides deserved credit.

What adjacent for the Leopards?

Desabre's in-game absorption was besides mostly sharp, holding backmost his archetypal substitution until the 64th minute, which made consciousness fixed however good organised his broadside was. Substitutes Meschack Elia and Edo Kayembe past injected caller vigor and helped the broadside triumph possession, though supporters volition person been frustrated that Yoane Wissa — who struck the station successful a infinitesimal that could person changed everything — was not replaced by the much unsafe Mayele until the 89th minute.

None of that detracts from a precise affirmative wide picture. 'Congratulations to the full squad connected our campaign. We gave perfectly everything. We are arrogant of ourselves' — skipper Chancel Mbemba, speaking to beIN Sports. [Note: archetypal French wording; nary verified English mentation found.]

Those are the foundations connected which DR Congo volition question to shingle up the pecking bid astatine AFCON 2027 and propulsion backmost into the apical 5 connected the continent. A federation presently ranked seventh successful Africa according to FIFA, they volition judge they tin ascent higher.