The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Guinea will meet at the Ébimpé Olympic stadium in Abidjan, Friday February 2, in the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations. The Leopards, with a prestigious success against Egypt, have a big appetite. But the Guineans rely on momentum and concrete mental strength. The poster is promising.
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From our special correspondent in Abidjan,
It has already been more than six years since the DRC and Guinea last crossed swords on a football field. The last time was in November 2017, and the Leopards won 3-1. But the teams and the context were different. It was a qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup, and neither team had been on the trip to Russia.
This Friday, in Abidjan, they meet for a place in the last square of the CAN 2024. Well, the smart one is who could say who from the DRC or Guinea is going with the costume of favorites. Neither coach claims it in any case. “ We can expect an open match », Announces Sébastien Desabre, the coach of the DRC.
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The DRC will “play its luck bravely”
In the Leopards camp, we want to be calm before this quarter-final at the Alassane Ouattara stadium (the real name of the Ébimpé setting). This CAN is already a success in the eyes of the French technician, in post for a year and a half. Sébastien Desabre cites “two victories” in this 2024 edition: “ The first was to reach the round of 16 and come out of the group as second. The second was to beat a Top 5 with Egypt. »
For the coach, this CAN is “ the CAN of work », which rewards the selections which have progressed the most. “ The teams in the quarter-finals are all good. (…) It works in all countries. It’s very good, it will lift African football to the top », he continues. His DRC has achieved a first objective: “ We wanted to perform in this CAN. Currently, we are the 13th African team (67th in the general FIFA rankings, behind South Africa in 66th place and ahead of Cape Verde in 73rd place), and being in the quarter-finals , we are in the last eight. »
But that doesn’t mean the Leopards intend to stop there. There is humility in them, but “ you have to be ambitious “, advances Desabre, because “ we are two games away from a final “. “ We are calm, we can improve our game. That’s what makes us even more interesting. I think we still have room for improvement », develops the coach who hears “ play (our) luck bravely “.
Read alsoCAN 2024: in the DRC, “Desabre has rebuilt a real team”
“The Guineans know that we are on a mission”
Among the Guineans, the speech is, all in all, quite similar in the mouth of Kaba Diawara. The coach wants to be measured but determined: “ We’re not going to show off. We remain humble and in our place. But we will be ready. » The coach has remained faithful to his philosophy since the start of this CAN: “ We came to play seven finals. Now we are ready, mentally ready to fight. I don’t care how we play; we must win. »
A willing joker, Kaba Diawara took the side of laughter when a Congolese journalist, himself a tease, suggested that the national Syli could think about packing his bags: “ Pack our bags! Hey, wait a bit anyway! (laughs) Even if they’re Martians in front, it’s the same. My guys are in the same state of mind. Either we’ll go home or it’ll be you. This is the logic of competition. We’ll try to make sure it’s you! We will do everything we can to send you back… with your chicanery there! (laughs) »
Lots of smiles from the Guinean coach, but make no mistake: Guinea intends to do everything to win, having not beaten the DRC since a CAN match played in 2004. Kaba Diawara has not forgotten the words that the president of the transition, Mamadi Doumbouya, to his troops a few weeks ago:
“ He put it in our heads that we had to walk as one man and think of the people. This is the speech I have in mind. You also know that a disaster took place in Guinea in December (the explosion of a fuel depot in Conakry which left 24 dead and more than 450 injured). Guineans know that we are on a mission and that we take this role seriously. We gave joy. There are three matches left if we go to the end, with the final victory I hope. »
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