DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre believes his team is still on course to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Central Africans are bracing for a must-win showdown with either Jamaica or New Caledonia in the final of the 2026 World Cup play-off tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, on 31 March.
Speaking to FIFA.com, Desabre stated that the team has worked hard to reach the final stages of the qualifiers.
“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,” Desabre said. “This final will be our 13th match since our qualifying campaign began. It’s definitely been a long road to get here, and we’ve worked our way through every stage.”
DR Congo defeated Nigeria to reach the playoffs, and the Frenchman believes his side is ready for any opponent.
Desabre has disclosed that the technical bench has already done its homework on the potential opponents – Jamaica and New Caledonia.
“We’re not afraid of anyone. We’re going to give it our all. As a minimum, we need to replicate the kind of performance we delivered against Nigeria. We know all about Jamaica and New Caledonia. We’ve been scouting them. We’ll also have the chance to watch them play over in Mexico on 26 March, but, for now, we’re focusing on our own players,” Desabre stated.
Desabre has urged his players to remain focused.
“We all want to go to the World Cup, but we can’t let our emotions or the magnitude of the occasion get the better of us. In the end, what matters is playing well, keeping our feet on the ground and giving everything we’ve got out on the pitch.”
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