Head coach of the Democratic Republic of Congo Sebastian Desabre has fired a subtle dig at the protest lodged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) against his team after losing the world cup qualifiers playoff in November.
Desabre’s ward picked the ticket to represent Africa at the intercontinental playoff after beating Nigeria 4-3 on penalties in the final in Morocco.
After the game Nigeria filed a protest against several players in the team of DR Congo saying they are ineligible to play in the game, because they flouted the country’s constitution which bars citizens from having dual nationality.
World football governing body FIFA is yet to rule on the protest, paving the way for DR Congo to continue in their quest to be at the World Cup for the first time since 1974.
They will face the winner between New Caledonia and Jamaica for a spot in the final of the playoff, which guarantees a spot at the world cup in Mexico, Canada and the United States of America in two months time.
Coach of the team Desabre aimed a dig at Nigeria explaining how their navigated through the qualifiers with their performance on the pitch, a statement which is a mockery of Nigeria’s attempt to snatch their spot using the allegation of ineligible players.
Speaking with FIFA, he said, “We’re really fired up. We’re still on course to meet our main objective.
“That’s the goal we set ourselves when I took this job three and a half years ago. This final will be our 13th match since our qualifying campaign began. It has been a long road and we have worked our way through every stage.”
He also maintained that his players have earned their place through years of work and resilience, highlighting his team’s defensive discipline as a key factor in their campaign, noting that DR Congo have conceded just one goal in their last four qualifying matches.
“I can’t point to just one moment in the journey,” he said.
“It’s about everything we’ve been through together – the highs and the lows. Those experiences have made us stronger and more resilient, and they’ve led us to this point. After all the hard work the players and the staff have put in over the last three years, they’ve thoroughly earned it.
“Defensive solidity is the bedrock of our side, but our attacking numbers have also been good in recent matches. In Congo DR, we’re lucky enough to have talented players who ply their trade at top clubs. Above all, everyone has really bought into the project we’ve been building together.”
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
