‘It is a miracle – I am over the moon.’
That’s the mood of Britain’s Congolese community today, after they stayed up all night to watch their side reach the World Cup knockouts for the first time in their history.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s players defied the odds as their country faced a deadly Ebola outbreak back home, which stopped their side from training and their fans from flying out to watch them.
Now their opponents are England, which has left the football loyalties of London’s Congolese ‘divided’.
DR Congo set up last-32 encounter with Thomas Tuchel’s squad after they came from behind to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in the early hours of Sunday morning.
It was only the second time they’ve qualified for the World Cup, more than 50 years after the then-named Zaire lost all three games in the group stages.
Their win brought crowds of Congolese living in the UK out onto the streets in celebration.
Many flocked to Seven Sisters, where there is a large community and a string of Congolese shops and eateries.
Sam Makela, manager of The Bash restaurant, was among them.
He told Metro: ‘I feel great. I feel over the moon. It is really historical.
‘We are in a mood of celebration.’
He was out with his wife, Goldie Bashala, until 5am, and they left only because they’d have to wake up early to serve customers.
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Speaking at 3pm on Sunday, Goldie added: ‘Everyone is still sleeping. We are in a state of shock.’
There are close to 30,000 people born in the DR Congo who now live in the UK.
For Sam and Goldie, both from Congo, they are torn between which side to cheer on Wednesday night.
Goldie explained: ‘We are divided now between the two of them. England is our home.’
That being said, Goldie acknowledges that while the Three Lions ‘always’ have the opportunity to make it to the group stage, DR Congo are trying to do something they have never done before.
The team has overcome the odds already as the Ebola outbreak threatened to stop them competing altogether.
The disease has killed more than 300 people in DR Congo and the WHO declared a public health emergency on May 16.
The outbreak forced the side to scrap their training camp before the tournament and meant they had to quarantine for three weeks in Belgium before flying to North America.
While DR Congo’s footballers were allowed in, many of their supporters have not.
While the WHO has not advised on imposing travel restrictions, the US has barred entry from non-Americans who have been in DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.
Canada then followed suit, imposing a 90-day restriction on Congolese nationals travelling from their homeland.
For many, their side’s success is a chance for the world to ‘talk about the Congo’.
Goldie said: ‘Honestly this is an opportunity for us as a Congolese people.
‘The players did not have their own fans in the stadium. To win is difficult for them.
‘Nobody is speaking about the situation in Congo. It is important for people to know what is happening.’
She also said the match was an opportunity to raise awareness that ‘there are a lot of minerals that people take from Congo. We don’t talk about what is happening.’
England and Congo are due to face off at 5pm UK time in Atlanta, Georgia, after England defeated Panama 2-0.
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