Desabre: "Even Morocco and Senegal Cannot Guarantee AFCON Semifinal Spot"

Sebastien Desabre, head coach of the Democratic Republic of Congo national team, affirmed a week before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco that no match in the tournament would be easy. He stressed that facing Botswana would be no less challenging than playing against major teams like Senegal.

Speaking to the official website of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the "Leopards" coach explained that his country's team is still not considered among the favorites, despite its advanced continental ranking. Desabre stated, "We are not considered among the favorites to win, despite being among the top 10 teams in Africa according to FIFA rankings." He added, "The biggest challenge is to prove that what we achieved in Côte d'Ivoire was not just a coincidence."

Regarding the team's objectives, Desabre outlined his priorities, saying, "Our primary goal is to advance past the group stage." He emphasized, "Reaching the round of 16 means playing crucial matches, and no team, not even Morocco or Senegal, can guarantee reaching the semifinals or winning the title."

The Democratic Republic of Congo coach concluded, "I hope that after the tournament ends, we will read a headline saying: 'The Leopards bring joy to their fans'." He affirmed that the objective is to deliver a respectable performance that lives up to the team's history and the aspirations of its supporters.