Democratic Republic of Congo head coach, Sebastien Desabre, has insisted his side will approach Wednesday’s World Cup knockout clash against England with confidence, saying the pressure rests firmly on their opponents despite carrying the hopes of millions back home.
The African nation has already surpassed expectations at the tournament by reaching the round of 32, marking a remarkable return to the global stage after a 52-year absence.
DR Congo, appearing at the World Cup for the first time since 1974, advanced from the group stage as the highest-ranked third-placed team.
Their journey included a draw against Portugal, a narrow loss to Colombia and a crucial 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, results that erased memories of a difficult debut World Cup campaign in which they lost all three matches.
Speaking ahead of the showdown with England in Atlanta, Desabre reflected on the milestones his team have achieved during the tournament.
“It was already an achievement and a progression to return to the World Cup after 52 years of absence,” Desabre told reporters on Tuesday.
“Earning the first point in the first match, scoring the first goal, that was another step. Scoring three goals in a match and winning a match at the World Cup was an additional step. Qualifying for the round of 32 was another step.
“So indeed, we do not have much to lose tomorrow, but we also take it as a source of motivation, because if we are here, it is because we deserve it.”
Those accomplishments have earned DR Congo a meeting with England, one of the tournament favourites and a team widely tipped to make a deep run.
“The pressure, of course, is on the England team, because they must continue their path according to their objectives,” the manager said.
“We will do everything to qualify, and that is what I told the players, and the players tell themselves, this is a very beautiful opportunity to create another exploit rather than simply coming here to discover the competition.
“The number of people for whom football is life in our country and other African countries means my players have a lot of hopes and dreams on their shoulders.
“I’m sure these guys have won many hearts through their motivation, their determination, and their resilience in the face of pressure.”
Desabre also revealed his squad has prepared for every possible scenario, including the prospect of a penalty shootout.
The knockout stage has already produced dramatic upsets, with Paraguay eliminating Germany on penalties and Morocco knocking out the Netherlands in a shootout.
“We practice penalties because we are professional, and it’s one possibility to win the game with a penalty,” he replied.
“We worked on that, and we won against Nigeria (in qualifying) on penalties. Also, we won in Egypt in, not the last AFCON, but in the AFCON in the Ivory Coast, and we have a lot of possibilities for penalties.”
With nothing to lose and history already made, DR Congo will now attempt to pull off another surprise by ending England’s World Cup ambitions.
