DR Congo holds Ronaldo’s Portugal to 1-1 draw in World Cup opener

Portugal were forced to settle for a disappointing draw against an impressive Democratic Republic of Congo side in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup.

Roberto Martinez’s men made a bright start and took the lead just six minutes into the encounter when midfielder Joao Neves rose highest to head home from close range.

Despite dominating possession for long periods, Portugal struggled to convert their control into clear-cut scoring opportunities, allowing DR Congo to remain firmly in the contest.

The African side capitalised on Portugal’s lack of cutting edge deep into first-half stoppage time. Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa found himself unmarked inside the box and headed home Arthur Masuaku’s delivery to score DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal.

The equaliser capped a disciplined first-half performance from the Congolese, who continued to frustrate Portugal after the break with organised defending and dangerous counter-attacking play.

DR Congo, making only their second World Cup appearance after competing as Zaire in 1974, showed remarkable improvement from their previous outing on football’s biggest stage, where they lost all three group matches and conceded 14 goals.

The Central African nation came close to taking all three points when experienced striker Cedric Bakambu struck the post during one of several threatening attacks.

Much of the pre-match attention had focused on Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who matched Lionel Messi’s record by appearing in a sixth World Cup tournament.

However, the 41-year-old endured a frustrating evening as he failed to become the first player to score in six different World Cups.

Ronaldo’s best opportunities arrived midway through the second half when he twice connected with low crosses from substitute Francisco Conceicao, but narrowly missed the target on both occasions.

Those efforts summed up Portugal’s struggles in attack, with Joao Neves’ early header remaining their only shot on target throughout the match.

The result leaves Portugal with work to do in their remaining group fixtures, while DR Congo will take confidence from a historic performance that demonstrated their ability to compete with one of Europe’s leading football nations.

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