Moutoussamy Sees 62nd-Minute Yellow Card for Challenge on Mozgovoy

Q: Can striker Yoane Wissa overcome his disastrous club season to become the hero DR Congo desperately needs against Uzbekistan?

Yoane Wissa can still be the hero DR Congo needs, but the evidence from this match points the other way so far. He arrived at the World Cup carrying poor club form after a difficult 2025-26 season at Newcastle United, where injuries and a lack of rhythm limited him to one league goal in 13 appearances. Yet he had already shown for DR Congo that club struggles do not automatically carry over internationally: against Portugal, he scored the country’s first-ever World Cup goal and delivered one of his best performances of the tournament. Against Uzbekistan, however, the decisive issue has been finishing. With DR Congo trailing 1-0 and needing a win to keep realistic hopes of reaching the knockout stage, Wissa has been heavily involved but wasteful. He missed an early effort, failed to hit the target from a strong position around the 50th minute, and then saw a header denied or drift wide in the sequence around the 61st minute as Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov produced key saves. Those moments suggest Wissa is getting into the right areas, but not yet delivering the end product DR Congo require. That leaves the answer finely balanced. Wissa has the pedigree and has already produced a major World Cup moment for his country, so he remains the likeliest attacking figure to change the game. But based on the chances already missed against Uzbekistan, he has not yet overcome his club-season struggles in the one way that matters most: by scoring when DR Congo need him most.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 28

62 minutes in, Moutoussamy was booked after a clattering challenge on Mozgovoy in DR Congo's match against Uzbekistan.
The caution came during a brief DR Congo surge, moments after Nematov saved Mbuku's shot and then held Wissa's header.
Those chances suggested DR Congo were gaining attacking momentum even as the yellow card interrupted that spell.