DR Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre has acknowledged that Colombia deserved their narrow victory after outclassing his side in several key areas during their FIFA World Cup Group K encounter.
Speaking, Desabre admitted the South Americans were the better team on the day, praising their quality while reflecting on the steep challenge his side has faced in its maiden World Cup campaign.
“The Colombian team was superior to us in many aspects of the game,” Desabre said.
The DR Congo boss pointed to the difficulty of navigating a group featuring two of the tournament’s highest-ranked nations, having already faced fifth-ranked Portugal and 12th-ranked Colombia.
“We have faced the two favorites in our group—the world’s 5th-ranked team (Portugal) and the 12th-ranked team (Colombia)—and we’re gaining valuable experience at our level,” he explained.
Despite collecting just one point from their opening two matches, Desabre remained optimistic, stressing that the experience will benefit his squad as they continue to grow on football’s biggest stage.
The Congolese now head into a decisive final group match against Uzbekistan knowing only victory will keep their hopes of progressing alive.
“This is our first-ever World Cup, and we’ll have to take risks against Uzbekistan because a draw will not be enough,” Desabre added.
With qualification hanging in the balance, DR Congo are expected to adopt a more attacking approach in what promises to be a high-stakes showdown against Uzbekistan.
