DR Congo plan to use secret weapon on England after success against Super Eagles

Democratic Republic of Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre has warned England that his team has a proven secret weapon ready if their high-stakes World Cup Round of 32 clash goes the distance.

The Leopards enter the knockout showdown in Atlanta with absolutely no pressure on their shoulders, ready to pull off another historic tournament upset.

DR Congo has already completely rewritten their footballing history in North America, advancing to the knockout rounds for the very first time after qualifying as the highest-ranked third-placed team.

After a 52-year absence from the global stage, dating back to a disappointing three-loss campaign in 1974, Desabre’s men banished the ghosts of the past by holding heavyweights Portugal to a draw, pushing Colombia to the limit, and thrashing Uzbekistan 3-1.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday ahead of their highly anticipated matchup against the Three Lions, Desabre insisted that all the psychological weight rests squarely on Thomas Tuchel’s star-studded squad.

With the Round of 32 already producing massive shocks, including Paraguay eliminating Germany and Morocco stunning the Netherlands via penalty shootouts, Desabre revealed that his team has a lethal secret weapon prepared for extra time.

The French tactician confirmed his squad has been relentlessly practising spot-kicks, relying on a flawless historical record in high-pressure shootouts.

Desabre noted, "We practice penalties because we are professional, and ⁠it's one ​possibility to win the game with a penalty.

"We worked ​on that, and we won against Nigeria (in qualifying) on penalties. Also, we won in Egypt in, not the last AFCON, but in the AFCON ​in the Ivory Coast, and we have a lot of possibilities for penalties."

The Leopards are no strangers to penalty drama; they famously utilised this exact weapon to eliminate Nigeria's Super Eagles during their gruelling World Cup qualification campaign, alongside a legendary shootout victory over Egypt at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast.

Shoulder to shoulder with the hopes of millions of passionate fans back home, DR Congo’s battle-tested squad is fully prepared to use their psychological resilience and elite penalty record to send England packing.