Newcastle Fans Left Stunned as Forgotten £55M Signing Delivers Emotional World Cup Masterclass

Yoane Wissa bagged a brace as DR Congo booked their place in the Round of 32, where they will face England.

Wissa has admitted that he did not perform at his best for Newcastle United last season.

Signed last summer for a reported £55 million fee, the DR Congo international endured an injury-hit debut campaign at St James’ Park. Wissa was tasked with replacing Alexander Isak but managed just one Premier League goal.

However, Newcastle fans have been given a glimpse of Wissa’s quality at the World Cup. He scored twice against Uzbekistan last night — taking his tally to three goals in the tournament — to set up a Round of 32 clash with England.

“I’m Proud” – Yoane Wissa

Wissa could not hide his pride after delivering the performance that secured a knockout-stage place for his country. He also admitted that his displays for Newcastle had fallen below expectations.

“That is why I’m even prouder than everyone else in this room,” Wissa told reporters. “I didn’t show my best side at Newcastle United last season, but I knew that my time would come. This time is now.

“I’ve shown everyone that I’m in a good place. I’m good physically, I’m good mentally, and that’s why I’m proud today to show that I’m a good player.”

Yoane Wissa on the Conflict in DR Congo

The 29-year-old also dedicated the victory to his compatriots affected by the ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo.

“We are a proud country. We are proud people. We love our country. We love our national team. We love what we represent,” Wissa added.

“I think tonight showed what it means for us: to keep fighting, no matter what. It is not easy in our country. There is a war in eastern Congo.

“Every day, every time we wear this shirt, we think about them. That’s why tonight, what we showed was to say: ‘Guys, no matter what, we need to keep going because we want peace.’

“And to them, I just want to say thank you. Thank you, because we came from far away. We came from nothing to be here. Now we are writing our story, and we need to be proud.”