Source: Politics<\/p>\n
BRUSSELS \u2014 The Matong\u00e9 area of Brussels was filled with drums and flags on Wednesday evening as every bar and barber shop showed the DR Congo vs. England game \u2014 the biggest Congolese match since 1974, when it won the African Cup of Nations and competed in the World Cup under the name Zaire.<\/p>\n
Belgium’s relationship with DR Congo is rooted in its colonial rule, a legacy that continues to shape political, cultural and diplomatic ties today. Up to 50,000 members of the Congolese diaspora live in Brussels, with the vibrant Matong\u00e9 as the epicenter.<\/p>\n
English fans in Matong\u00e9 were few and far between \u2014 and mainly silent \u2014 throughout most of the match as their team trailed for a long period before turning the game around.<\/p>\n
Despite Congo\u2019s eventual narrow defeat, supporters were stoked by the team\u2019s performance. “At the end of the day Congo was better than England because they overperformed and England underperformed,\u201d said Darshan Pham, whose family hails from DR Congo. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of the games, it\u2019s a victory for them anyway because they made it so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sydney Jadot, who worked for five years in DR Congo where his family is from, also admired the team\u2019s fight: \u201cWhat can I say? I think Congo fought well \u2014 they put all their hearts [into it] and England is more thorough.\u201d<\/p>\n