Kinshasa, June 28th, 2026 (CPA).- The head coach of the Democratic Republic of the Congo national football team paid tribute to his players after they qualified for the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the Leopards’ 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at Atlanta Stadium on Sunday in their final Group K match. « We must congratulate the Leopards’ players for their outstanding performance. We are a team that knows how to respond after conceding a goal. Whatever the circumstances of the match, we keep fighting. We demonstrated that once again today, » said DRC head coach Sébastien Desabre during the post-match press conference.
He added: « With the quality of this group, its commitment and everything the players have delivered since the beginning of the tournament, we adopted a more attacking approach today. I am delighted that everyone could see this team’s ability to score goals. » Desabre also praised his players, whom he described as outstanding, while expressing gratitude to his technical staff. He said he was proud and especially happy for the entire Congolese people. The DRC coach further explained that everything that happened on the pitch was part of a strategy designed for the team’s three group-stage matches, aimed at keeping the players physically fresh for the decisive third fixture in Group K—a strategy that ultimately proved successful.