GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Daniel Muñoz helped Colombia overcome a stingy Congolese defense and advance to the finals. world cup They won 1-0 on Tuesday night.
Muñoz scored in the 76th minute after Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpathi made five difficult saves in the first 20 minutes and the Colombians were kept in check with a good performance.
Mpathi had no chance to stop him. Munoz’s left foot shot From inside the area after the ball deflected off a defender. It was Muñoz’s second goal of the tournament and the Crystal Palace full-back was named Man of the Match.
“We played with intensity and aggression and stuck to our style,” Munoz said. “We got three points for us as a team and for all the fans who came to support us. This win has boosted our morale. We don’t want to be satisfied with this.”
Congo came close to equalizing twice in stoppage time, with Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas making a superb save from Nathanael Mbuku’s long-range shot and denying Chancel Mbemba’s header from the ensuing corner kick.
Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said: “We probably could have scored more goals, but Congo made it difficult and there was tension until the end.” “But I think we deserve to win.”
Colombia’s star forward Luis Diaz was given two goals in quick succession late in the second half, one for a foul in the 79th minute and the other for offside in the 80th minute.
Congo was playing their first World Cup match in 52 years. Amazing 1-1 draw Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Portugal.
Colombia have six points from their two matches in Group K, two ahead of Portugal and five ahead of Congo. Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0 On the back of Ronaldo’s two goals in Houston earlier Tuesday.
Colombia needs at least a draw against Portugal on Saturday to win the group stage. This result is enough to advance Portugal to the finals.
Colombia, which failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, is ranked 11th in the world and third among South American teams behind Brazil and Argentina. Los Cafeteros opened the season with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan. Congo, ranked 47th, has had its preparations for the World Cup affected by the Ebola outbreak.
Many Congolese fans were prevented from traveling to the tournament due to Ebola-related restrictions.
One fan who missed the first game due to quarantine measures said: Michelle Ngcuka Mboradingawhich gained fame during the African Cup of Nations by posing as a statue of assassinated Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba. he I was able to participate in the match In Guadalajara, he maintained a statue pose throughout the match.
Colombia have never been held to a goalless draw in their 23 World Cup appearances.
The team’s play has improved since Juan Quintero came off the bench on Tuesday to replace James Rodríguez, who made his 10th World Cup appearance, along with Colombian greats Freddy Rincon and Carlos Valderrama.
The start was completely Colombian, with Los Cafeteros creating several scoring opportunities, but Mpathi blocked them.
The goalkeeper saved long-range shots from Rodriguez, Johan Mojica and Gustavo Puerta, as well as shots from close range from Díaz and Muñoz. Furthermore, in the 50th minute, he made a big stop on Diaz’s shot from close range.
“Our goalkeeper was great today, but I’m not surprised. He had a great game against us,” said Congolese coach Sébastien Desables. “The defense struggled overall, but we defended well overall, except for the goal. Even though we could have equalized in the end, we have to realize that Colombia is the better side. We now have a decisive game ahead of us.”
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
