Ezri Konsa believes Harry Kane is doing for England what Lionel Messi does for Argentina, after the England captain scored two late goals to secure a 2-1 victory over DR Congo and send the Three Lions into the World Cup last 16.
Kane's Late Heroics Seal Comeback Win
England trailed 1-0 at Atlanta Stadium after Brian Cipenga opened the scoring for DR Congo. However, Kane struck twice in the space of 11 minutes to turn the game around, scoring his 63rd and 64th international goals. The brace saw him overtake Pele to become the men's World Cup joint sixth all-time leading scorer. With five goals in the tournament, Kane trails only France's Kylian Mbappe and reigning world champion Lionel Messi, who have six each, in the race for the golden boot.
Konsa: Kane Is Our Messi
Defender Ezri Konsa drew parallels between Kane and Messi, stating: "It is like Argentina with Messi — and we’ve got that in Harry Kane here. We know his qualities. We know how many games he can score in. That’s his job. That’s what he does. He loves scoring goals, and we love watching him score goals."
Konsa also praised Kane's match-winning goal, describing it as one of the great World Cup goals in England's history. "From my angle, if you look at it he was outside the post. I don’t know how he’s managed to wrap his foot around it and get it in with that much power. But like I’ve said before, it’s what he does. He scores goals, and it’s nothing new for us."
England Set for Mexico Clash
The victory sets up a last-16 tie against Mexico at Estadio Azteca on Wednesday. Mexico have won all four of their group matches without conceding a goal, scoring many through fast counter-attacks. DR Congo have conceded counter-attacks in all four of their matches. However, Konsa expressed confidence in England's defensive capabilities: "We’ve got enough at the back to stop a counter. Look, they’re doing well, but we’re here to make an upset and win the game on Sunday."
Defensive Solidity Remains
Konsa insisted that the defensive solidity England displayed during qualification, when they did not concede a single goal, is still present. "Yes, definitely. I’ve got a great relationship with Marc [Guehi] at the back, and whoever I play with I enjoy each moment. I thought the last game against Panama we were a bit too exposed at the back. But I thought [against DR Congo] we kept that shut. They had a chance to go 2-0 up in the first half with [Yoane] Wissa hitting the post. But there are always things to improve on, and I’m sure that’s what we’re going to do, going into Sunday’s game."
