England have faced an African side a total of eight times at the World Cup, but only two of those occasions have happened in the knockout stage across the entire history of the competition. They won both, and in this third occasion, on Wednesday, the Three Lions face DR Congo in the Round of 32. A potentially tasty Ro16 tie against hosts Mexico at the magnificent Azteca awaits if they beat the Leopards in Atlanta and El Tri see off Ecuador (see bracket below).
England are priced as clear favourites in the England vs Congo bet market, and that two-from-two knockout record is part of what underpins it. But the history is more interesting than the clean stat suggests.
Cameroon 1990
The 1990 quarter-final in Naples came against Cameroon at the peak of their powers. They had beaten Argentina in the group stage and arrived at the last eight as the tournament’s standout side. England were not the comfortable favourites that evening.
David Platt headed home Stuart Pearce’s cross in the 26th minute to put Bobby Robson’s side in front. But Roger Milla came on at half-time and changed the match entirely. A Paul Gascoigne foul on the veteran striker gave Emmanuel Kunde the chance to level from the spot in the 61st minute. Four minutes later Milla turned provider, finding substitute Eugene Ekeke in the box, who dipped a finish past Shilton. England were losing with 25 minutes left.
Gary Lineker scored from the spot in the 83rd minute to force extra time. Lineker then scored another penalty in the 106th minute to pull them through.
Senegal 2022: done before the hour mark
The 2022 round of 16 in Qatar was something different. Senegal had topped their group and carried experience across the squad, but England were clinical from the first whistle. Jordan Henderson scored in the 38th minute, and Harry Kane added a second in first-half added time. Bukayo Saka made it three in the 57th.
It was England’s most convincing knockout win at a World Cup in years, and it never really looked in doubt once Henderson opened the scoring.
Two matches, two different stories, one result
England’s knockout record against African opposition spans 32 years and two very different tournaments. The 1990 win needed extra time and two penalties. The 2022 win was settled in the first hour. Both ended the same way.
That unbeaten record sits behind the today match odds football pricing ahead of the game. England haven’t lost this type of fixture, and the expectation is built around that.
But the 1990 caveat is real. Cameroon were ahead in the second half and looked to be writing one of the great World Cup upsets. The difference came down to two Lineker penalties. The record held, but it required character to do it.
DR Congo are not here to make up the numbers
Congo have earned their place in the knockout rounds- they qualified as the best third place team (see table below). They’ve shown across this tournament that they carry genuine attacking threat when given space, and England’s defensive shape will need to be sharp from the first whistle.
The 2022 Senegal performance is the blueprint England should be drawing on. Fast start, early goals, no room for DR Congo to find a rhythm. That match was effectively over before the final half-hour. England need the same control against the Leopards.
Two attempts and two wins against sides that both arrived with momentum and genuine quality behind them. England have handled this before. The record says so. Now they have to handle it a third time.