DR Congo dream of causing big World Cup upset against England in Atlanta

[p]Despite having to navigate 13 qualifiers, a pre-tournament quarantine due to an Ebola outbreak and the instability caused by decades of conflict, the war-torn nation is making its mark on the global stage.[/p][p]"[b]It's not easy in our country,[/b]" said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wissa-yoane/b35gWzB2/"]Yoane Wissa[/a] after his two goals secured his nation's first World Cup win against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uzbekistan/EZYKKRMc/"]Uzbekistan[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/d-r-congo-phn9mm8H/england-j9N9ZNFA/?mid=nkoQVAgB"]and a meeting[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a], where the Newcastle striker has played his club football for the past five years.[/p][p]That is by no means the only English connection in the squad.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wan-bissaka-aaron/faGmGOOh/"]Aaron Wan-Bissaka[/a] was born in London and played for England to under-21 level.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tuanzebe-axel/l21PrfBG/"]Axel Tuanzebe[/a] also represented the Three Lions at youth level and could come up against his former schoolmate and teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rashford-marcus/COnT2Lh0/"]Marcus Rashford[/a] in Atlanta.[/p][p]Of the 26-man squad, 20 were born outside of Congo - the majority, like Wissa, in France.[/p][p]The battle for the mineral-rich East Congo has sparked a decades-long conflict between a litany of armed groups and forced families to flee, seeking security in Europe.[/p][p]"[b]There's a war in East Congo. Every day, every time we wear this shirt, we think about them[/b]," added Wissa.[/p][p]"[b]Because we want peace and for them, I just say 'thank you'. Thank you because we came from far. We came from nothing to be here. Now we write our story with a black pen and we need to be proud.[/b]"[/p][p]The roots of an inspiring story on the field come from that tragic backdrop.[/p][p]Sourcing and recruiting dual-national players has become crucial for smaller nations to punch above their weight in international football.[/p][h2]'New generation wants to help'[/h2][p]Wan-Bissaka was one of those who initially needed some convincing.[/p][p]Signed by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a] for £50 million ($66 million) when just 21, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/d-r-congo/phn9mm8H/"]DR Congo[/a] swooped when the England career he imagined he would have failed to materialise.[/p][p]But as the Leopards' star has risen, players are becoming increasingly keen to join the Congolese cause.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sadiki-noah/UJnCIUV6/"]Noah Sadiki[/a] represented [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] at youth level and would almost certainly now be a mainstay for the Red Devils had the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] midfielder not switched allegiance.[/p][p]"[b]There is a new generation that wants to help the people of the country,[/b]" Sadiki told French sports paper L'Equipe.[/p][p]Competing as Zaire in 1974, the country's only previous World Cup ended in embarrassment with 14 goals conceded in three defeats.[/p][embed guid="6d51fa90-b9f8-498c-a9e4-aab733c31c8c" url="https://x.com/MenInBlazers/status/2071130398403277149?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Over half a century on, Congo's new generation have given a nation reason to dream.[/p][p]The outbreak of Ebola that has claimed more than 300 lives had had an impact on the team's World Cup preparations.[/p][p]The United States imposed a 21-day isolation period on players in Belgium before they were allowed to enter.[/p][p]Their most famous fan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga - known for his statue-like pose honouring the country's first prime minister Patrice Lumumba - was denied entry to the US.[/p][p]But the team led by Sebastien Desabre, a Frenchman, has defied the odds.[/p][p]Congo eliminated African powerhouses [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cameroon/zk1uVG2D/"]Cameroon[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nigeria/EBE2Xb3l/"]Nigeria[/a] in qualifying before sealing their place with victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jamaica/CWmDb3zj/"]Jamaica[/a] in an inter-continental play-off in March.[/p][p]Desabre's men then thwarted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Cristiano Ronaldo[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a] as Wissa's header secured a 1-1 draw in their opening World Cup game.[/p][p]A narrow 1-0 defeat to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colombia/G02s4PCS/"]Colombia[/a] meant they had to beat Uzbekistan to reach the knockout stages for the first time.[/p][p]Roared on by thousands from the Congolese diaspora in the stands, Wissa was the hero once more in a 3-1 win.[/p][p]The challenge of England, one of the favourites for the competition, awaits.[/p][p]But Congo are unlikely to be overawed given the hurdles they have scaled to get to this stage.[/p]