DR Congo vs Uzbekistan: Leopards look ready to pounce

This is the sort of group finale that arrives with its sleeves rolled up. Kickoff is 27 June 2026, 23:30 UTC, and DR Congo know a draw is not the warm blanket they need.

Sébastien Desabre has not merely talked about risk; he has picked a team that says it out loud. Mbuku and Cipenga join Bakambu and Wissa, which gives DR Congo more runners, more box threat, and more ways to rattle a defence.

The favourite has changed its boots

The key here is not just motivation, though DR Congo have plenty of that. The more important point is that their confirmed XI changes the shape of the argument.

They still keep the strong spine: Mpasi in goal, Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Mbemba and Masuaku behind the play. That is not a side throwing the house keys into the river and hoping for carnival football.

But the front end is sharper than the cautious versions seen in tougher assignments. With Mbuku and Cipenga stretching the pitch, Bakambu and Wissa should get more scraps, crosses and second balls to attack.

DR Congo have already shown they can live in hard games. They held Portugal with discipline and set-piece bite, while the Colombia defeat exposed their attacking limits more than their competitive character.

That is why this selection matters so much. Desabre appears to have looked at the problem, tapped the tactics board, and decided the evening needs a little less padlock and a little more doorbell ringing.

Uzbekistan are dangerous, but vulnerable

Uzbekistan are not some ceremonial opponent waving from the bus window. Fayzullayev and Shomurodov start, and that pair can absolutely make a match uncomfortable if DR Congo leave the wrong gaps.

Still, their tournament pattern has been hard to ignore. Against stronger tempo, defensive timing and game management have cracked often enough for opponents to find clear punishment.

Cannavaro has rotated, but not surrendered, and that is important. This should be a competitive Uzbekistan side, yet the balance still leans toward survival first and counterpunching through their best attackers.

The absence of Masharipov’s creative leadership also matters in a subtle way. When a game needs calm invention between midfield and attack, Uzbekistan may have to lean heavily on Fayzullayev doing something special.

That makes the win price on DR Congo appealing in football terms. The market respects them as favourites, but the confirmed attacking shift gives their case a little more muscle than a basic “they need it” story.

I did look at the goal angle, because an early DR Congo strike could lift the lid off the pot. But their positional attack can still creak, and Uzbekistan may begin carefully after a bruising outing last time.

The bigger handicap also asks for a very neat evening from a side that has not been a free-scoring machine. A straight DR Congo win keeps us on the strongest part of the read without demanding a parade.