DR Congo Coach: England Match Will Be Very Important for Us

DR Congo national team coach Sébastien Desabre announced that preparations for their World Cup Round of 16 match against England would begin immediately after their 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan in their final Group K fixture.

“We will start working on preparations for the match right away. We have a few players in the squad who play for clubs in England, so they will help us, but we will prepare in the best possible way. This will be a very important match for us,” Desabre commented after last night’s win.

The DR Congo head coach interrupted the initial questions at the post-match press conference, insisting on congratulating and praising his team first. “Before I answer, I would like to congratulate my players for their work. This is a team that has been together for four years. We always kept believing in ourselves. The victory means a lot to the country and is truly wonderful. The result is positive, and we showcased the good image of DR Congo,” he stated.

Desabre also stated that he wasn't concerned that his team had fallen behind in the match. “Of course, you're never sure you're going to win. Clearly, we made a mistake by giving them too much space early on. But from the start of this World Cup, we planned to use players in this match who hadn't been able to play in the first two games. Having fresh players gave us an advantage, and it was quite logical that we won,” explained the African coach.