Daniel Munoz scored the decisive goal as Colombia beat DR Congo 1-0 in Guadalajara, to secure their place in the World Cup knockout stage.
The Crystal Palace wing-back struck in the 76th minute, meeting a clever pass from Juan Fernando Quintero before seeing his left-footed effort take a deflection and beat goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi at the near post.
Colombia dominated large periods of the contest and created several chances before finally breaking the deadlock. Munoz nearly opened the scoring inside four minutes but fired into the side netting after Jhon Arias’ effort was parried into his path.
The defender also had the ball in the net shortly afterward, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside following a tight decision.
Colombia continued to control possession and chances throughout the first half, with Mpasi producing a series of saves to frustrate Nestor Lorenzo’s side.
After the break, Luis Diaz missed a clear opportunity to put Colombia ahead when he failed to beat Mpasi one-on-one, while Arias dragged the rebound wide.
But Colombia eventually found the breakthrough when Quintero slipped a pass into Munoz’s path and the defender’s shot deflected past Mpasi.
DR Congo pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, but Colombia held firm to claim a deserved victory and book their place in the knockout rounds.
The victory leaves Columbia top of Group K with two wins from two matches and guarantees their progression into the last 32. DR Congo remain third in the group and must defeat Uzbekistan In their final match to keep alive their hopes of advancing.
Oluwagbemisola Babalola
Follow us on:
