The Democratic Republic of Congo's remarkable World Cup journey ended with a round-of-16 defeat to England, but for many Congolese, the Leopards have rewritten the country's World Cup story.
More than five decades after their only previous World Cup appearance, the Leopards united a country scarred by conflict, disease outbreaks and political uncertainty, mounting a fearless campaign that gave millions of Congolese a rare sense of unity.
"It's rare that I feel proud to be Congolese. During this World Cup, our national team made us proud, as if nothing were wrong. I believe I am witnessing the greatest generation in the history of the DRC," Héritier Muyisa, a 28-year-old student in Bunia, told Al Jazeera.
The contrast with 1974 could hardly have been sharper. Then playing as Zaire, the Leopards lost all three matches without scoring, suffering heavy defeats to Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil.
"We were a great nation back then. Losing by such heavy score lines without scoring a single goal felt like a curse," Lukambila Jacques, 65, who watched the Leopards' first World Cup campaign, told Al Jazeera.
No player embodied the Leopards' revival more than Yoane Wissa. His three goals made him DR Congo's first World Cup scorer and the country's leading scorer in the tournament's history. His towering header against Portugal ended a 52-year wait for a World Cup goal.
"I didn't expect young people like them – like us – to make more than 100 million people proud," Dorcas Mudimo, a 26-year-old resident of Bunia, told Al Jazeera after the defeat to England.
The Leopards' run was built on a series of milestones. The breakthrough against Portugal earned DR Congo a draw and sparked celebrations from Kinshasa and Goma to Bunia.
"I thought we'd be content just to qualify for the World Cup. But our players showed we could compete with Portugal, Spain and other major nations," Manassé Limbaya told Al Jazeera.
The Leopards drew with Portugal, beat Uzbekistan, and narrowly lost to Colombia before their dream ended against England in the round of 16.
"My heart was racing throughout the match against England. They have world-class stars, but I knew we would give them a hard time," Cephas Agbwabe, a resident of Bunia, told Al Jazeera.
Every DR Congo match drew packed crowds to Bunia's viewing centres, where celebrations often spilled into the streets long after the final whistle.
England captain Harry Kane acknowledged the challenge posed by the Congolese side: "We spoke before about pounding the rock. That was our motto before the game. We knew there was going to be a tough rock to break down, and they proved it."
DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre focused less on the result and more on what his players had achieved: "It's true that we're disappointed, because we believed we could do it. I think we played a good match. In the end, one of the best players in the world scored two goals against us."
For supporters in Bunia, elimination did little to diminish what the Leopards had achieved. Fifty-two years after leaving their only previous World Cup without a point or a goal, they returned to football's biggest stage and showed they could compete with some of the world's most established teams.
"It was the first time I'd heard my country's national anthem at a World Cup finals. I hope, one day, I'll tell my children I witnessed these glorious moments," Agbwabe told Al Jazeera.
Source: www.aljazeera.com