Bronze DR do not go into England vs Congo DR with a settled centre-forward picture. Sebastien Desabre has a choice to make between Cedric Bakambu's experience and the momentum around Fiston Mayele, after Congo DR reached the last 32 with a decisive victory over Uzbekistan on 1 July 2026 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.

Bakambu's case

Bakambu is 35 and his Real Betis contract expired on Tuesday. He also has 73 caps and 21 goals for Congo DR, leaving him one short of Dieumerci Mbokani's all-time record of 22. That alone explains why some supporters still lean toward him. He has been around the level, the pressure and the moments that tend to matter in knockout football.

The tournament itself has not handed him an easy answer. Against Portugal he struck the post and had 24 touches in a lively, goalless display. He is still searching for his opening goal of the tournament, and that has sharpened the debate rather than settling it.

Mayele's push for a start

Mayele's argument is simpler. Introduced as a substitute for Bakambu against Uzbekistan, he produced an excellent cameo and scored a goal that played a significant part in sending Congo DR into the knockout stage. In a squad that scored 4 goals and conceded 3 in the group stage, the finishing touch is not a minor detail.

Congo DR finished the group stage with 4 points from 3 matches, so this is not a team that has stumbled into the round of 32. England topped Group L with 7 points, a goal difference of 4 and a 2-1-0 record, which makes the tie look like a proper test rather than a free hit. For Desabre, the hard part is deciding whether to trust the veteran who still has unfinished business or the striker who changed the mood against Uzbekistan.

The sensible read is that Bakambu still has the stronger long-term case, but Mayele's entry against Uzbekistan gives the selection debate real weight. Congo DR need a clean decision before 1 July at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and their next team sheet will tell us which striker Desabre trusts most.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →