THE head coach of the Democratic Republic of Congo Sébastien Desabre has described his side’s victory over the Super Eagles of Nigeria as some kind of important warm-up towards the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
DR Congo defeated Cameroon 1-0 in the World Cup play-offs semi-finals before beating the Super Eagles on penalties in the final to advance to the intercontinental play-offs.
Like the World Cup African play-offs in November, the 2025 AFCON will be held in Morocco (from December 21 to January 18), with DR Congo in the same group as Senegal, Botswana and Benin Republic.
When Desabre was asked by CAFonline in an interview if the World Cup play-offs triumph put him under pressure, he replied: “I don’t know if it adds pressure, but it was certainly a major moment for us.
“We faced two teams ranked higher than us—matches that could have passed for AFCON quarter-finals or semi-finals.
“It was extremely valuable preparation. We played in the same stadium where we will face Benin and stayed in the same hotel we will use during the AFCON. Those details matter.
“But every team is working hard—Senegal, Benin, Botswana. Perhaps these playoffs make us appear more like a team “to beat”, but that is mostly a media perception. No match at this level is easy.”