Written by: Ayman Ragab
Cheerful singing and the harsh sound of the vuvuzela created an unmistakable African atmosphere for the Democratic Republic of Congo's training session in Houston, USA, where fans are confident their team can shine at the World Cup and have a message for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Congolese national team will begin its journey in Group K with a match against Portugal in Houston on Wednesday, thus ending a 52-year wait to return to the ranks of major tournaments, after a single previous participation in 1974 under the name Zaire.
On that occasion, they lost all three of their matches, did not score any goals, and conceded 14 goals.
absolute trust
But fans are confident that this failure will not be repeated this time, given that Colombia and Uzbekistan are also in the group.
“I am very happy,” Dadda Muzinga told Reuters. “It’s been a long time… I am 40 years old, but I have never watched the World Cup with my national team before. I am excited. I know it will be a great tournament.”.
Muzinga, wearing a clown mask with bright red hair, addressed Ronaldo, who is likely to play for Portugal against Congo. "This is a message to Cristiano Ronaldo... We don't want penalties or red cards (like in the opening match)... We want to play until the end... We'll see who wins the match."“
The enthusiasm of the masses
Claude Perengero, a 24-year-old local teacher, stood mesmerized as he watched the Congolese players train. “I follow the team and I’m so excited that it’s happening here in Houston,” Perengero said. “I feel like we have a good team, and the chemistry between the players is improving. We hope to go further this time. These are the players you grew up watching on TV, and now you see them representing your country, and not only that, but you see them in person. The way they move the ball is amazing. It’s an incredible feeling. I still haven’t fully grasped it. I’m trying to record videos to keep as a memory.”
When asked how far the Congolese team could go in the tournament, the cry of “All the way to the final!” was heard, followed by enthusiastic cheers from the large crowd.
The team's participation is a glimmer of hope amid the Ebola outbreak in Congo, which has seen 676 confirmed cases.
