Cristiano Ronaldo got off to a shaky start in his record-equaling sixth World Cup as the Democratic Republic of Congo earned their first-ever point at the tournament, drawing 1-1 with Portugal in Group K on Wednesday.
Yoane Wissa’s header cancelled out Joao Neves’ early goal, and the African team, playing in their first World Cup since 1974 as Zaire, more than held their own.
Ronaldo, 41, was largely a peripheral figure throughout the match, failing to have the same impact as his great rival Lionel Messi, who scored a hat-trick against Algeria on Tuesday.
The DRC’s feat was even more impressive given that their preparations were hampered by the Ebola outbreak in their home country.
Some Portugal players were wearing wristbands presented to them by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro in memory of late teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a vehicle accident last year.
Portugal got off to a great start, with Neves scoring a header from Pedro Neto’s cross in the sixth minute.
Despite dominating possession, they lacked a cutting edge, and their opponents punished them late in the first half.
Wissa scored his country’s first goal at a World Cup, sparking celebrations on the pitch, on the bench, and among Congolese fans in the stadium.
Former Portuguese defensive bulwark Pepe, watching from the VIP seats, was unimpressed.
Bernardo Silva, who joined Real Madrid on a free transfer, ended the day watching from the bench after Martinez took him off at half-time.
He was briefly off his feet cheering as Joao Cancelo’s overhead kick hit the back of the net, only to have it ruled out for offside.
However, the Congolese were matching the Portuguese, and 35-year-old veteran attacker Cedric Bakambu shrugged off Bruno Fernandes’ attempt, which rebounded off the near post.
Ronaldo finally got an opportunity to shine when he was set up by Francisco Conceicao’s pass, but he fluffed his lines and fired the ball wide of the post.
The similar combination connected up minutes later, with Conceicao — a much more lively presence than Silva — teeing up Ronaldo, but the result was the same: the ball went wide.
Portugal thought they had at least received a corner, but when it was not awarded, Conceicao pounded the ball into the ground in despair as his team failed to earn three points in their first game.
