Congo Had Favorites on the Ropes, But Then Came the Punishment from One of the World's Best

For almost an hour, an upset loomed against the favorites, but Harry Kane's two goals secured England's expected progression. "We kept chipping away and knew our moment would come," Kane stated, according to fifa.com.

The Congolese representatives took the lead in the 7th minute with a goal from midfielder Brian Cipenga, who celebrated with an impressive somersault. Their disciplined defense troubled "Albion" for a long time, and they created several promising chances that could have extended their lead. Yoane Wissa came particularly close to scoring at 1-0, with his unassisted shot from an open position grazing the post. England intensified their offensive pressure, and the crucial moment arrived in the 75th minute.

Kane connected with a header from a cross by substitute Anthony Gordon, beating goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau for the first time. England's all-time leading scorer (84 goals) confirmed his form in the 86th minute, receiving a pass from Gordon at the edge of the box, creating space, and slotting the ball past the left post.

It was his fifth goal of the tournament. "The opposing goalkeeper was making incredible saves, but our team today didn't see defeat as a possible outcome. That's a good sign. It shows us the level of our determination, belief, and focus, which never wavered. We didn't feel excessive pressure; on the contrary, we had the right attitude and trusted ourselves," remarked "Three Lions" coach Thomas Tuchel.

England was proud that despite trailing for nearly an hour, they ultimately found a way to win. "When you get into knockout games, the pressure and stakes are much higher. From an attacking perspective, this was undoubtedly our best game of the tournament. Sometimes you just have to grind out wins, and that's exactly what we did today. We got through it, and in four days, we go again," Kane noted.

For Congo, advancing from the group stage is an achievement, but their players were on the verge of one of the biggest upsets of the World Cup so far.

"We are disappointed because we truly believed we could do it. We played well. Unfortunately, we allowed one of the best players in the world two chances, and they resulted in two goals. It's a shame," commented DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre.

England will face host nation Mexico in the Round of 16. The match will be played at the stadium that hosted the "Hand of God" in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals, where Argentine legend Diego Maradona controversially equalized at 1-1 against England. Shortly after, Maradona scored his second goal, which ultimately secured a 2-1 victory.