DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre has declared that his team will not accept being labeled as the favorites in their upcoming quarter-final match against Guinea in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite their impressive victory over Egypt in the previous round, Desabre, a seasoned French coach, rejected any suggestions that his team is the frontrunner.
The coach stressed that while knocking out a football powerhouse like Egypt was a significant accomplishment, it does not automatically make his team the favorite.
“CAN surprises happen? I would say that it is the CAN of hard work. All eight teams that have qualified for the quarter-finals are strong teams. This demonstrates that there is quality across all these countries, which is a positive for African football,” he said.
“As for being the favorite against Guinea? No! We are not favorites against Guinea. It’s going to be a fairly open match against a good team, with players who represent top clubs.
“We will formulate a game plan based on our strengths; we may also make adjustments based on any weaknesses we can identify in their game, if there are any, because Guinea is a very well-rounded team and has had some good matches. We always approach things with humility, knowing that there is room for improvement, even as we acknowledge our strengths,”
