DR Congo Coach Desabre: 'We are disappointed by AFCON elimination, and I take full responsibility'

DR Congo national team coach, Sébastien Desabre, expressed his disappointment following their elimination from the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations 'Morocco 2025', after a 1-0 loss to Algeria.

Desabre stated in the post-match press conference: "We feel an inevitable disappointment after conceding the decisive goal late in the game. The players gave their all on the pitch and fought until the end, but it wasn't enough. We had a good second half, and in extra time, we were physically evenly matched, but the goal came from a counter-attack while we were trying to attack."

He added: "Practically, the player substitutions were satisfactory, and we played three exciting matches in the group stage. We faced Algeria in the round of 16, and we fought hard. The level between the two teams was close, and the difference was minimal, which is why we feel disappointed."

Desabre continued: "If we had lost clearly, we would have congratulated our opponents, but we feel frustrated because we had some scoring opportunities that we didn't capitalize on. We need to analyze certain aspects and focus on an important goal awaiting us in March. We wanted to progress further, but some things were beyond our control."

The Congo coach concluded his remarks: "We faced a strong team ranked higher in the FIFA rankings, and we showed a good image of ourselves, but our efforts were not enough to win. A coach must bear part of the responsibility, and I take full responsibility."