Yoane Wissa expresses his delight following the Leopards’ historic qualification for the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup

The striker paid tribute to the Congolese people for their support.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is experiencing a historic moment. The country has qualified for the round of 32 at a World Cup for the first time in its history. This qualification was secured thanks to a convincing victory over Uzbekistan on the final day of the group stage. Having scored a brace in the match, Yoane Wissa expressed his joy and highlighted the team’s collective performance.

“I’m just one piece of the jigsaw. The pressure was immense. There are things to improve on, but the most important thing is this historic qualification. Now we must savour the moment. All the lads, the substitutes, those who have worn this shirt before and those who will wear it tomorrow, should be proud. We must be proud of all Congolese people. Thank you to the people and the fans; without them, none of this would be possible. Today we’ve done it. We must savour this moment, because it doesn’t come around every year.”

The DR Congo will face England in the round of 32.