Jubilant singing and the raspy sound of vuvuzelas have created an unmistakingly African feel to Democratic of Republic Congo’s training in Houston, where supporters are confident their side can shine at the World Cup and have a message for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Congolese open their Group K campaign against Portugal in Houston on Wednesday, ending a 52-year wait to return to football’s main table after a single previous appearance in 1974 as Zaire.
On that occasion they lost all three matches, scored no goals and conceded 14 times, but fans are confident there will be no repeat of that failure this time round, with Colombia and Uzbekistan also in the pool.
"I am really happy, man,” Dada Muzinga told Reuters. “It's a long time... I'm 40 years old but I have never seen the World Cup with my country. I am excited. I know it is going to be really good.”
Muzinga was wearing a clown mask with bright red hair and had words for Ronaldo, who is likely to line up for Portugal against the Congolese.
“This message is to Cristiano Ronaldo. We don’t want no penalties, no red cards (like in the opening game). We want to play to the end. We will see who wins the game.”
Claude Byiringiro, 24, a local teacher, stood transfixed as he watched the Congolese players train. “I follow the team and I am really excited it is happening here in Houston,” Byiringiro said. “I feel like we have a good squad, the chemistry is getting better. Hopefully we can go far this time.”
“These are the players you grew up watching on TV and now you get to see them represent your country and not only that, you get to see them live. The way they move the ball, it’s amazing. It feels unreal. It hasn’t hit me yet. I’ve been trying to take videos for memories.”
Asked how far the Congo team could go in the tournament, a shout went up, “All the way to the final”, followed by cheers from the throng of fans.
The team's participation is a welcome bright spot during an Ebola outbreak in Congo that as of Friday had 676 confirmed cases and claimed 136 lives.
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