DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre has urged his squad to put their defeat to Colombia behind them and refocus for the challenge ahead in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The Leopards fell 1-0 to Colombia in their second Group K fixture at Guadalajara Stadium, with Daniel Munoz settling the contest 14 minutes from time. His deflected strike came after intelligent hold-up play from substitute Jhon Cordoba.

Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi had kept the Leopards competitive through a first half that largely belonged to Colombia, but the South Americans eventually found a way through. Luis Diaz saw two efforts ruled out for offside as Colombia withstood a late flurry of DR Congo pressure to secure a top-two finish in Group K — setting up a meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

Desabre's message ahead of Uzbekistan

Despite the loss, DR Congo can still advance to the knockout stage if they defeat Uzbekistan and results elsewhere fall in their favour. Desabre made clear that caution will not be an option.