{"id":5731,"date":"2026-06-27T04:02:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T04:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=5731"},"modified":"2026-06-27T04:02:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T04:02:30","slug":"texas-cancer-survivor-surprised-with-historic-world-cup-tickets-to-see-dr-congo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=5731","title":{"rendered":"Texas cancer survivor surprised with historic World Cup tickets to see DR Congo"},"content":{"rendered":"

DALLAS<\/strong> – <\/span>As the first round of the FIFA World Cup is almost over, fans say the memories will last a lifetime.<\/p>

Read more Automated license plate reader helps DPS locate children from AMBER Alert in Houston<\/a><\/p>

A North Texas daughter\u2019s surprise, and a mother\u2019s strength, proves some of life\u2019s biggest wins happen beyond the scoreboard. This family shares their unforgettable experience of witnessing the Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s national team play, and what it means to them.<\/p>

Congo’s historic return to the World Cup<\/h2>
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ZAPOPAN, MEXICO – MARCH 31: Axel Tuanzebe of Congo DR celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammates during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off tournament final match between Congo DR and Jamaica at Estadio Guadalajara on March 31, 2026 in Zapo<\/span> <\/p>

Expand<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Local perspective:<\/p>

The Democratic Republic of Congo is competing in soccer\u2019s biggest tournament after 52 years. A sign of the country\u2019s resilience and determination.<\/p>

As the country has been through a lot, so has this dynamic mother-daughter duo.<\/p>

“To have this time with her. And to have this moment with her, it\u2019s a memory that I\u2019m so blessed to even have,” said Tanya Marie.\u00a0<\/p>

Marie surprised Chilemb Munung, otherwise known as Mama Coco, with World Cup tickets to see the Democratic Republic of Congo play Portugal at Houston Stadium.\u00a0<\/p>

Read more Venezuela earthquake: How you can help those in need<\/a><\/p>

A North Texas daughter\u2019s unforgettable surprise<\/h2>
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Dig deeper:<\/p>

A daughter’s gift, a mother’s grit, both powerful, because at one point Mama Coco didn’t even know if she’d make it to 2026. She was diagnosed with an advanced stage of myeloma cancer, which is incurable.\u00a0<\/p>

“We knew that we could get her treatment, we were praying that treatment would go through. We knew that we\u2019d be able to get her a transplant. And through a lot of dedication to her health and to putting herself first for once, she was able to get that transplant, and we\u2019ve seen her grow and be healthy,” said Marie.<\/p>

Mama Coco was healthy and full of unmatched energy at the match. A country that is often overlooked, but seeing her country’s flag and rich culture on full display and beaming with pride as the leopards put up a fight.<\/p>

“To go to that and represent my country to be seen. It was just\u2026 I can\u2019t even express to myself what I was feeling there, but it was like oh my God,” said Mama Coco.<\/p>

When does Congo play next<\/h2>
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What’s next:<\/p>

Congo is still searching for its first win of the tournament, but according to Mama Coco, “We already won.”<\/p>

Read more Houston-area woman shares Alzheimer\u2019s Journey, stresses early diagnosis<\/a><\/p>

Congo takes on Uzbekistan on Saturday at 6:30 p.m, in Atlanta.<\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A cancer survivor\u2019s unforgettable World Cup surprise proves some of life\u2019s biggest wins happen far beyond the scoreboard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,12,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup","category-texas","category-top-stories"],"yoast_head":"\nTexas cancer survivor surprised with historic World Cup tickets to see DR Congo - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=5731\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Texas cancer survivor surprised with historic World Cup tickets to see DR Congo - 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