DR Congo v Uzbekistan – predictions and odds – 2026 World Cup (28/06/2026)

Matchday three of Group K sees a lot at stake, particularly for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Africans’ fate is in their own hands as they aim to finish among the best third-placed teams, whilst Uzbekistan need nothing short of a miracle to stay in the tournament.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo have made a positive impression despite competing in a tough group: they made a good start with a draw against Portugal and put up a very competitive performance despite losing 1–0 to Colombia. The team once again looked solid with their five-man defence and stayed in the game right until the end.

One of the standout players has been their goalkeeper, Mpasi, who once again put in an outstanding performance and is proving to be one of the revelations of the World Cup. In midfield, Moutoussamy provided balance, whilst Cayembe once again stood out for his intensity. The problem was that Wissa and Bakambu played a less prominent role than they did against Portugal, although they did have a good chance in the second half.

The defeat does not change the picture significantly. Congo have one point and know that a win would mathematically secure their place amongst the best third-placed teams. There is no room for speculation: only a win will do.

Uzbekistan

For their part, Uzbekistan once again exposed their limitations in their 5-0 defeat to Portugal. Fabio Cannavaro’s side tried to compete with their usual three-man defence to contain the Portuguese, but the gulf in quality was simply too great.

There was a brief spell in the match when they pressed higher up the pitch and managed to unsettle Portugal, even scoring a goal that was subsequently disallowed. However, it was a flash in the pan and the team ended up being clearly outclassed.

With a goal difference of -7, their chances of qualifying are virtually non-existent, even if they were to win.

Our prediction: DR Congo to win (odds 1.70)

Looking ahead to this match, I see the African side as favourites. They have performed very well against two tough opponents in Portugal and Colombia and go into the game with a real chance of qualifying for the round of 16.

Uzbekistan, by contrast, have struggled throughout the tournament and give the impression of being one of the teams that only managed to qualify for the World Cup because of the expansion of the qualifying places. Furthermore, their goal difference means that even a win might not be enough.

With qualification within their grasp and the need to win, I expect Congo to be very intense from the start and I see value in them winning.