The Leopards, who had picked a vital point from their group opener against Portugal, produced a disciplined and courageous performance but were ultimately edged out after a late goal settled a tightly contested battle.
Colombia's frustrations were beginning to show when Daniel Munoz broke Lionel Mpasi’s stubborn resistance, scoring with a deflected strike after intelligent hold-up play from substitute Jhon Cordoba.
Luis Diaz had two goals ruled out for offside as Colombia withstood a late wave of D.R Congo pressure to seal a top-two spot in Group K ahead of their meeting with Portugal.
‘Colombia were superior than us’
Desabre admitted that Colombia was the better team on the night, citing their excellent possession play.
“It was a difficult match for us. We played against a very good team. They were superior,” Desabre told reporters as quoted by FIFA.com.
“First, we will recover. The next match will be here quickly. We’ll need to take risks. A draw will not be enough. We need to analyze ourselves now and move forward.
“We’ll be prepared against Uzbekistan. They have some great defenders.”
Desabre added: “It would have been good to get a draw, but we must recognize that Colombia was superior. They have an excellent possession game. We came into the game late.
“Our second half was better, but that's football. We have to analyze what happened and move forward.”
Desabre concluded: “We are happy to have scored our first goal, and we are using this as a learning experience.
“Uzbekistan will be difficult because they defend well but we are going to give our all. Now we have to rest and recover our energy.”
Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said after the game: “I want to thank the team for all their effort.
“Against teams like this, you have to find the spaces between the lines; if you stick too rigidly to a set play, they’ll counter-attack by exploiting those spaces.
“We’re very happy - we’re a team that takes the initiative, and we never give up on that approach. Thanks to everyone who came out to support us.”
The Leopards have qualified for the FIFA World Cup twice: as Zaire in 1974 and in 2026. They made history in 1974 as the first Sub-Saharan African team to reach the tournament. In 2026, they secured their return via the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.
In their opening group match against Portugal, Yoane Wissa scored a stoppage-time equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw. This marked DR Congo’s first-ever goal in World Cup history.
The Leopards will conclude their group fixtures against Uzbekistan at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27th.
