Present at the press conference following the Democratic Republic of Congo's defeat to Uganda's Cranes (0-2) at FNB Stadium, head coach Sébastien Desabre clearly expressed his thoughts on the performances of the new players integrated into the squad. The French technician called for calm and patience, reminding everyone that this international window was specifically aimed at exploring new options without compromising the foundational work done over the years.
“We chose to continue with young players to see them in action. We observed them today, and we will see them again in a match situation on Monday, after which we can better define who could add value to the existing team,” the Congolese technical staff leader stated, before placing the match in context: “But the established team is not present, as you have noticed. That was the objective; I had already mentioned it at the beginning of the camp. We brought in many players from their clubs. This FIFA window allowed us to do this with these two friendly matches, and we chose to take advantage of it. Be lenient with the young recruits.”
When asked about the match's progression and the lack of collective understanding, the Leopards' leader wanted to be realistic by putting things into perspective: “It took us 4 years to build a team capable of competing in the World Cup. It is not in a single friendly match, with so many new players on the field, that we will achieve the best performance. We are learning the necessary lessons, we accept the defeat because it is essential, and then we return to work to come back stronger this Monday.” concluded the national coach of the DRC.
