Democratic Republic of Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre has reacted to his side’s hard-earned victory over the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The Leopards defeated Nigeria 4-3 on penalities in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoffs in Rabat on Sunday night.
Desabre’s side will now compete at the Intercontinental playoffs in Mexico in March 2026 for a place at the mundial.
Congo are looking to qualify for the global soccer fiesta for the first time since their maiden appearance in 1974.
The 49-year-old insisted that his side deserved to beat the Super Eagles.
“It’s difficult to start a match down 1-0. But the team spirit remained high, and we chose to try and control the game,” Desabre said during his interaction with the media.
“Nigeria also deserves to be congratulated. The match was very close. We could have not qualified, but overall, I think we deserved the victory.”