BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Friendships will be temporarily put aside when the United States take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 showdown.

The match will feature an interesting subplot involving players who regularly share a dressing room at German Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach.

American duo Giovanni Reyna and Joe Scally will line up against club teammate Haris Tabaković, who is expected to spearhead Bosnia and Herzegovina’s attack in the knockout encounter.

While the trio are accustomed to working together at club level, national pride will take precedence as both sides chase a place in the last 16.

The United States arrive with confidence after navigating a challenging group stage and will be hoping to capitalise on home-continent support. Bosnia and Herzegovina, meanwhile, have emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages and will be eager to extend their memorable World Cup journey.

The reunion of club colleagues adds an extra layer of intrigue to a fixture that could be decided by the finest of margins.

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Fixture: England vs DR Congo
Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 32
Date: July 1, 2026
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

England will face African opposition at the FIFA World Cup for the sixth time when they take on the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Round of 32 on Tuesday. The Three Lions remain unbeaten against teams from Africa in World Cup history, having won three and drawn two of their previous five encounters.

England’s World Cup Record Against African Teams

Year	Opponent	Stage	Result
1986	Morocco	Round of 16	England won 1-0
1990	Cameroon	Quarter-final	England won 3-2 (after extra time)
2002	Nigeria	Group Stage	Draw 0-0
2010	Algeria	Group Stage	Draw 0-0
2018	Tunisia	Group Stage	England won 2-1

Overall Record

• Matches Played: 5
• Wins: 3
• Draws: 2
• Losses: 0
• Goals Scored: 6
• Goals Conceded: 3

Key Facts

• England have never lost to an African nation at the FIFA World Cup.
• The meeting with DR Congo will be the first-ever World Cup encounter between the two countries.
• England’s most dramatic World Cup clash against African opposition came in the 1990 quarter-finals, when two Gary Lineker penalties helped secure a 3-2 extra-time victory over Cameroon and a place in the semi-finals.
• Their most disappointing result against an African side was the 0-0 draw with Algeria in 2010, a performance widely criticised by fans and pundits.
• England’s most recent World Cup victory over an African team came in 2018, when Harry Kane scored a stoppage-time winner in a 2-1 triumph over Tunisia.

What’s at Stake?

England enter the knockout tie aiming to extend a World Cup record against African opponents that stretches back 40 years. For DR Congo, appearing in their first-ever World Cup knockout match, the encounter presents an opportunity to become the first African nation to eliminate England from the tournament and create another chapter in the continent’s growing World Cup story.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Three people died from suffocation after massive crowds flooded the streets of Mexico City to celebrate the national team’s historic World Cup victory over Ecuador, authorities said early Wednesday.

According to a Reuters report, the fatalities occurred near the iconic Angel of Independence monument, where thousands of jubilant supporters had gathered following Mexico’s 2-0 win over Ecuador in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup.

The victory at the Estadio Azteca ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout-stage triumph and sent the tournament co-hosts into the Round of 16, triggering spontaneous celebrations across the capital.

According to Mexico City’s Health Secretariat, emergency teams responded to several incidents involving unconscious people around Paseo de la Reforma, the city’s main boulevard, which had been closed to traffic and transformed into a focal point for celebrations.

“After receiving advanced resuscitation efforts, the deaths of a 44-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman from suffocation have been confirmed,” the health authority said in an initial statement posted on social media.

In a later update, officials confirmed a third victim, a 48-year-old woman who suffered asphyxiation on a nearby street. She was transported to hospital but later died.

The tragedy unfolded amid scenes of widespread jubilation as supporters celebrated one of the most significant victories in Mexican football history. Fans waving flags, singing national songs and chanting in celebration filled the streets surrounding the Angel of Independence and along Paseo de la Reforma.

However, the festive atmosphere was overshadowed by images circulating on social media showing paramedics and emergency responders attending to distressed individuals lying on the ground in crowded areas near the celebrations.

Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged citizens to exercise caution during public celebrations.

“Always celebrate with responsibility, care, and empathy,” Brugada wrote on X.

The deaths cast a sombre shadow over what had been a night of national pride after Mexico finally broke a jinx that had lasted since 1986, when they last won a World Cup knockout match.

With a metropolitan population exceeding 20 million people, Mexico City is accustomed to hosting major public events and large-scale celebrations. Nevertheless, the sheer volume of supporters who poured into the city’s streets following Tuesday’s victory appeared to overwhelm parts of the celebration zone.

Authorities have not announced whether an investigation will be launched into the circumstances surrounding the crowd-related deaths.

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