ATLANTA — Lionel Mpasi pushed England to the edge of a World Cup upset, stopping shots any way he could before Harry Kane finally broke through late.
Kane scored twice near the end, including the winner in the 86th minute, as England beat Congo 2-1 and advanced to the round of 16. Congo, trying to produce one of the tournament’s biggest shocks, was left with a narrow defeat and a standout performance from its goalkeeper.
Kane breaks through after Mpasi keeps Congo alive
Mpasi blocked efforts with both hands and absorbed one painful shot below the belt. At one point, Jude Bellingham embraced him while the goalkeeper was still on the turf with the ball secured.
Mpasi later said through a translator that he had “offered my body to science,” while noting Congo knew Kane had to be closely tracked. Twice, he said, the team lost enough attention on the England striker for it to decide the match.
Kane credited Mpasi for a string of difficult saves and said it had the look of a match in which England might not find a way through.
Congo exits after a historic World Cup return
The result ended Congo’s run, but not before the team changed the tone of its World Cup history. Its only previous appearance came in 1974, when the country was known as Zaire and exited without scoring, including a 9-0 loss to Yugoslavia.
Mpasi, 31, plays club soccer in France and represents the country of his parents’ birth. Congo’s wider sporting history is still closely tied to Muhammad Ali’s Rumble in the Jungle victory over George Foreman in 1974, but this tournament gave its soccer team a fresh stage of its own.
Axel Tuanzebe said Mpasi had been exceptional throughout the tournament, including against Colombia, and pointed to the group’s communication and togetherness as reasons Congo stayed competitive.
Mpasi said he was proud of how Congo represented itself and that the team fought until the end. After rest, he said, the focus would turn to working hard enough to create another run like this.