Colombia urges more pressure after goalless first half against RD Congo

Colombia reached halftime level at 0-0 against the Republic of the Congo at the Estadio de Guadalajara, where the Group K match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 was scheduled to start at 02:00 local time on June 24, or 21:00 on June 23 in Bogotá. Fernando Allocco, Colombia’s assistant coach, valued the opening 45 minutes but said the side had to keep pressing if it wanted to turn possession and territory into goals.

The first half matched the tone Colombia wanted for long stretches. The Tricolor did not face too many dangerous situations, but it also did not find the decisive final pass or finish that would have turned control into a lead. That left the match finely balanced after a start that had the feel of a test of patience as much as a test of quality.

The stakes were clear before kickoff. Colombia arrived after a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan in its opening Group K match, a result that gave the team an early cushion in a section that also includes Portugal and Uzbekistan. For Colombia, that victory offered a platform; against RD Congo, anything less than a sustained attacking response risked leaving the group open.

RD Congo came into the game with its own momentum after a 1-1 draw with Portugal, a result that carried historic weight because Yoane Wissa’s stoppage-time equalizer produced the nation’s first World Cup goal and its first point in the tournament. FIFA listed the Congolese squad at 26 players and identified Sébastien Desabre as the coach, a reminder that this side had already shown it could frustrate a heavyweight and punish lapses late.

With Portugal and Uzbekistan also in the section, the result in Guadalajara carried direct consequences for the standings and the route to the next round. Colombia’s start against Uzbekistan suggested enough attacking quality to compete in the group, but the first half against RD Congo raised the sharper question of whether dominance without payoff is becoming a pattern. If Colombia cannot convert control into goals, its margin for error in Group K will shrink quickly.