Chancel Mbemba’s DRC faces Zambia on Wednesday January 17 in San Pedro for its entry into the final phase of CAN 2024. Absent during the previous edition in Cameroon, the Leopards want above all to do the maximum for their many fans.
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From our special correspondent in San Pedro
“ There CANit’s party “. THE Marseillais Chancel Mbemba, last Marc-Vivien Foé Prize, does not hide his pride and joy at finding himself in San Pedro for his fifth CAN. He will be the “big brother” of a rejuvenated group, which has no apprehension according to coach Sébastien Desabre. There DRCdouble African champion, had not participated in the previous CAN in Cameroon, and had started the qualifying phase badly with two defeats (in Sudan (1-2), and especially at the Martyrs stadium in Kinshasa (0- 1) against Gabon).
Show generosity
As a result, seeing the Congolese in Ivory Coast remains a satisfaction for a whole people for whom football remains a sort of religion, in this country of nearly 100 million inhabitants. “ The only pressure is to give a positive image of the DRC », Launches Sébastien Desabre, who arrived at the head of the selection in August 2022.
When taking office, the former Niort coach had CAN 2025 in mind. The dice fell on the right side during the qualifiers, and here he is in Ivory Coast, the country where he had his first African experience. thirteen years at ASEC Mimosa.
“ We are not here by chance, even if we are humble “, says Sébastien Desabre who will be able to draw on his experience with Uganda during CAN 2019 in Egypt, eliminated by Senegal in the round of 16. “ We had a good runremembers Sébastien Desabre. I integrated management experience between matches, especially for the medical side. Sometimes the experience cannot be explained, it is lived. »
An ambitious outsider
For this entry into the running against the Zambia, African champion in 2012, Sébastien Desabre wants to see his group show generosity. “ The first match is important, but not decisivehe says. We are here with ambition. But as an outsider, we first want to put in good performances. There is a collective union in this group, it is a strength. The only pressure is to give a positive image of the DRC. We want to go as far as possible. It’s an ambition. But you have to measure your words, because you don’t change everything overnight. We must progress. »
During CAN 2019, the “Leopards” finished the group stage in the best thirds, enough to reach the round of 16 against Madagascar. At the end of an undecided match, the Bareas had won thanks to a flawless performance during a shooting session in Alexandria. Little thumb of the CAN at the start of the competition, the Malagasy selection had defied all predictions by finishing first in its group, notably beating the great Nigeria (2-0). “ In CAN, I know that everyone can beat everyone », concludes Sébastien Desabre. In the final phase of the CAN, Zambia has never beaten the DRC.
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