DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre has urged his charges to finish the Africa Cup of Nations on a high when they come up against South Africa in the third-place playoff fixture at at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Saturday.

The Leopards enjoyed a fairlytale run in the tournament before losing 1-0 to hosts Ivory Coast in the semi-finals.

“We have to leave on a positive note. We have come a long way, we have shown good things and we do not want a grain of sand to derail the machine. We will give everything to bring this medal home and present it to the Congolese people who are passionate about football,” said Desabre.

He added: “We still have room for improvement to make. The results will be positive and we will do everything in place to improve this national team for the years to come.”

He concluded by saying: “The Congolese were great with us. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you for everything.”