CAN 2025 - DR Congo: Desabre heaps praise on his players after draw against Senegal

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·27 December 2025

CAN 2025 - DR Congo: Desabre heaps praise on his players after draw against Senegal

The French coach applauds Congo's resilience against the Lions of Teranga.

Sébastien Desabre / Congo DR (Photo : @EmmanuelEkule2/X)

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Sébastien Desabre expressed his satisfaction after the 1-1 draw earned by DR Congo against Senegal this Friday, December 27 in Tangier. The French manager praised the fighting spirit of his players, who held their own against the tournament favorites, the Lions of Teranga.

The French tactician shared his analysis of the match during the post-game press conference. He believes the result reflects the nature of a balanced contest in which both teams countered each other intelligently. The Leopards executed a coherent game plan that paid off.

"It's a match where both sides know each other well, there's little space, so naturally, it often leads to tight results. The game was balanced, and the draw is a fair outcome given what happened on the pitch. We opened up our flanks and accepted play down their wings to protect our central axis. The density we maintained in central areas worked quite well. Winning the second ball is above all a matter of presence and compactness around the ball, and my players were very present," Desabre explained.

This result puts the Leopards level on points with Senegal in the Group D standings, though with a slightly inferior goal difference ahead of the final matchday of the group stage. The coach urged his players to maintain this level of performance for the upcoming clash against Botswana.

"We're making progress, that's for sure. We've played against two very strong African teams recently, and these kinds of matches help us keep improving in our play and intensity. Today, we've shown that DR Congo can stand up to the best team in Africa. Now, we must stay focused for the match against Botswana and go for the top spot in the group," concluded the Leopards' coach.