Sebastien Desabre had not even been born when Congo DR made their sole FIFA World Cup™ appearance back in 1974, when the country was still known as Zaire. On that occasion, the debutants bowed out after the first round, having failed to trouble the scoreboard.
Some 52 years later, the man now leading the Leopards has the chance to write a new chapter in his team’s history by steering them to only their second outing at the global showpiece.
To secure their golden ticket, the French-born tactician and his men will need to clear one last hurdle: a must-win showdown with either Jamaica or New Caledonia in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Play-Off Tournament in Guadalajara on 31 March.
Before leaving for Mexico, where his team will warm up for the final with a friendly against Bermuda on 25 March, the globetrotting coach – who enjoyed a notable spell with French outfit Chamois Niortais – took the time to speak to FIFA. With just 90 minutes separating his side from a famous feat, the stakes could hardly be higher.
Sebastien Desabre: 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. 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.
I can’t point to just one moment. It’s about everything we’ve been through together – the highs and the lows. Those experiences have made us stronger and more resilient, and they’ve led us to this point. After all the hard work the players and the staff have put in over the last three years, they’ve thoroughly earned it.
Defensive solidity is the bedrock of our side, but our attacking numbers have also been good in recent matches. In Congo DR, we’re lucky enough to have talented players who ply their trade at top clubs. Above all, everyone has really bought into the project we’ve been building together.
The players share a strong bond both on and off the pitch. Everyone is pulling in the same direction to achieve a common goal. We can make it tough for our opponents because we play as a unit: our forwards track back, our defenders push forward and everyone pulls together, as if they were soldiers going into battle for their country.
That’s what matters most to me and it’s what I ask of the players every time they go out there. We have to leave everything out on the pitch and we need to play with real aggression – in the right way, of course. We’ve got to stick together and, most of all, stay grounded.
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 (a match which Congo DR won 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time). 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.
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. We need to focus and perform well on the day to get the job done and make Congo proud. That’s what it’s all about for us. The Congolese are passionate about football and some of them are going through difficult times. I know that the whole nation will come to a standstill on 31 March so people can watch the match. We hope we can give our fans the lift they deserve.
It would be recognition for all the hard work put in by everyone: my coaching staff, the players and myself. When I took the reins three and a half years ago, the team had hit a rough patch, but I believed in them straight away, even when few others did. Now we have the chance to reach the World Cup. We’re within touching distance of our aim, we’re brimming with confidence and this team has real mental toughness, but, right now, we can’t take anything for granted.
That experience has already served me well in my role coaching this Congo DR team over the last three-years. I hope that’s going to continue and that I’ll get to experience the World Cup as a coach. In the end, it’s still football, and we’ll have to earn the win on the day. We trust in our abilities but we know it won’t be easy. You have to respect every opponent.
When you’ve loved football since childhood, certain moments inevitably stay with you, especially from the tournaments you watched with your family. A couple of things come to mind. The first was when the competition was held in South Africa, simply because it took place in Africa. The curtain raiser (a 1-1 draw between South Africa and Mexico) made a real impact on me.
Of course, there’s also France’s victory in the 1998 World Cup final. We were lucky to witness this in our lifetime. I was 22 years old and I was able to follow every second of Les Bleus’ campaign. In fact, every World Cup produces extraordinary moments. Another match that left a lasting impression was that classic clash between France and Brazil at the 1986 World Cup, which just so happened to take place in Guadalajara.
