Aaron Wan-Bissaka 'caught out' as media frustrated by West Ham man vs Uzbekistan

West Ham United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka didn't cover himself in glory despite DR Congo's win over Uzbekistan in the early hours of Sunday morning.

One of the final group stage outings of the entire World Cup gave Sebastien Desabre's side a chance to reach the knockouts for the very first time.

They came up against a tournament newboy and the difference in quality shone through in the end.

Goals from Yoane Wissa and Fiston Mayele made sure of three points and a place in the round of 32.

The African outfit will now face England in Atlanta next after the Three Lions' win over Panama on Saturday.

Wan-Bissaka played his part in the victory, but so nearly cost DR Congo from very early on.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka nearly cost DR Congo World Cup place

The 28-year-old changed his alliances to the Leopards in 2025 having previously featured for England under-21s.

He has gone on to feature regularly for Congo, with his 15th cap coming against Uzbekistan.

The right-back started for the third consecutive game at the World Cup and had a difficult start.

He was involved in a bizarre passage of play with just 10 minutes on the clock, allowing Eldor Shomurodov to score a wonderful chipped effort.

That didn't go down well with media outlets as Actualite suggested that, "Wan-Bissaka was caught out of position" as the Uzbek striker delivered a "devastating blow".

That was echoed by Sports Dunia, who picked out a "mix-up at the back" between Lionel Mpasi-Nzau and the West Ham man.

It wasn't all bad, however, as Sofascore picked up on his position at full-back that "helped build pressure wide" to make a difference going forward.

The numbers behind Wan-Bissaka's performance vs Uzbekistan

The Hammers faithful have been keeping tabs on the defender and his progress away from the London Stadium.

He featured across 90 minutes against Uzbekistan as he saw out the group stages with another victory.

Media outlets may have been unimpressed by his early antics, but he certainly made up for that in spades.

Wan-Bissaka chipped in with 10 defensive actions including seven clearances, two interceptions and one tackle.

He also won four duels without giving away a single free-kick at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

The Irons ace also got forward and created the joint-most chances on the pitch with three, while maintaining an 82 per cent pass accuracy.

It's clear that the media have focused on one frustrating event which doesn't necessarily paint the full picture.