NEW DELHI: Daniel Muñoz scored the decisive goal as Colombia beat DR Congo 1-0 on Tuesday to become one of the first teams to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage.The defender found the breakthrough in the 76th minute after a tightly contested match in Guadalajara. Muñoz’s left-footed effort from inside the box took a deflection off a defender before finding the back of the net, leaving DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi with no chance.It was Muñoz’s second goal of the tournament and enough to give Colombia their second straight victory in Group K.For much of the game, Mpasi kept DR Congo in the contest with an outstanding performance. The goalkeeper made five difficult saves in the opening 20 minutes as Colombia dominated possession and created several chances.DR Congo almost snatched a dramatic equaliser in stoppage time. Nathanael Mbuku tested Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas with a powerful long-range strike, but Vargas produced a superb save. Moments later, he denied Chancel Mbemba’s header from the resulting corner to preserve Colombia’s lead.Colombia thought they had sealed the game late on through Luis Díaz, but the Liverpool forward saw two goals ruled out within two minutes. One was disallowed for a foul and the other for offside.The African side had impressed in their opening match by holding Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to a 1-1 draw, but they could not repeat that result against a clinical Colombian team.With six points from two matches, Colombia now sit top of Group K and have booked their place in the round of 32. Portugal are second after their 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan, while DR Congo remain on one point.A draw against Portugal in their final group match will be enough for Colombia to finish as group winners.The match also featured the return of DR Congo’s famous supporter Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, popularly known as “Lumumba Vea”. The fan, who became a viral sensation during the Africa Cup of Nations for standing like a statue throughout matches, attended the game after missing the team’s opener because of Ebola-related quarantine rules.Colombia, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, have made an impressive return to the tournament with back-to-back wins. Veteran playmaker James Rodríguez also reached a milestone, joining Colombian greats Freddy Rincón and Carlos Valderrama with 10 World Cup appearances.
