The Democratic Republic of Congo held out for 76 minutes before a deflected shot handed Colombia a 1-0 win in their Group K clash in Guadalajara on Tuesday.
It was the last of the second-round fixtures and left DR Congo needing to win their last group fixture on Saturday in Atlanta against Uzbekistan to stand any chance of progressing to the last 32.
Here are their player ratings from the match:
Lionel Mpasi (8): Five saves, some inadvertent, in the opening 20 minutes served to prevent Colombia getting off to a quick start. He made an even bigger stop from Luis Díaz early in the second half but got caught for Muñoz’s goal.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (6): The English-born right back is an asset going forward but proved sloppy at times, missing out on opportunities to set up the strikers. He had a busy night, dealing with the threat of Díaz.
Steve Kapuadi (6): There was a lot of work for the back five to do and Kapuadi was among those forced to block Colombian efforts from the edge of the DR Congo penalty box. His deflection saw Colombia break the deadlock.
Axel Tuanzebe (6): A key block from Díaz before halftime denied the Colombian striker a chance to break the deadlock. Tuanzebe was solid at the back as the Congolese picked up a vital point.
Chancel Mbemba (6): The veteran skipper marshalled the defence, but almost cost his side with a missed clearance that allowed Díaz to get a shot in on goal early in the second half.
Arthur Masuaku (6): Produced one or two good crosses from the left and kept his side of the Congolese defence largely solid and away from the Colombian threat.
Samuel Moutoussamy (6): Again a prolific workhorse performance from the French-born midfielder. He had one chance at shooting at goal but hit his effort well over the top of the goal when there were teammates in better positions to pass to.
Edo Kayembe (6): An early shot at goal whistled narrowly past the post, almost giving the Congolese a bright start. Another hard-working effort in the midfield eventually ended when he was replaced for the final 15 minutes.
Ngalayel Mukau (4): The linkman behind the strikers did not get forward enough because he had to spend so much time on the back foot, helping to try and stem Colombia’s dominance in possession. He was taken off at halftime.
Cedric Bakambu (6): Had an active game looking for counter-attack opportunities but was let down by some poor service from his teammates. His running left him tired and he was replaced in the 57th minute.
Yoane Wissa (5): Far from his best game for Congo, not looking as crisp as he has in the past for his country. This has not been a good season for injury-plagued Wissa who is still searching for his sharpness.
Noel Sadiki (5): Proved unable to add some attacking impetus to the team after coming on at halftime. Had he been able to do so, Colombia would not have had as much possession.
Simon Banza (5): Had one chance in front of goal after coming on for Bakambu but chose to pass rather than turn and shoot.
Joris Kayembe, Charles Pickel, and Nathanael Mbukun were also on as substitutes but did not play long enough for a rating.
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