DR Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre says his side have “points” to win the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after recording their first victory of the tournament against Guinea in the quarter-finals last week.
The Leopards had drawn all four previous games against Zambia, Morocco, Tanzania and Egypt. But their 3-1 triumph over Guinea on Saturday earned a semi-final clash with hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
For Desabre, the long-awaited win shows his team are hitting form at the perfect time.
“This victory comes at the right time as we are gaining momentum in the competition. We won, we drew, but did not lose,” the former Uganda Cranes coach told CAF media..
Desabre now believes DR Congo can dream of the ultimate prize. “It would be foolish not to believe in the final victory. But it will be difficult,” he conceded.
The coach feels DR Congo have the firepower to trouble any defence, despite only scoring three goals prior to the quarters.
“We have forwards like Bakambu, Banza and Mayele Fiston. We know it was a matter of time before we succeeded,” Desabre insisted.
With momentum building and a first AFCON crown now within reach, the DR Congo boss is daring to dream.
“When you reach the semi-finals, you first want to reach the final. And if you have the chance to reach the final, you want to win it,” said Desabre.
“We will do everything to have no regrets.”
After finally finding their attacking spark, Desabre and DR Congo can be forgiven for believing their AFCON fairytale may have a glorious ending.
