DR Congo’s Desabre Responds To Portugal Dra…

DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre reacts to his side’s 1-1 draw against Portugal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre was pleased with his side’s performance against Portugal and believes the Leopards remain firmly on course to reach the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Portugal struck early through Joao Neves, who opened the scoring in just the sixth minute, but the African outfit responded before the break as Yoane Wissa restored parity with a well-taken finish.

The 1-1 draw ensured DR Congo picked up a valuable point to begin their World Cup campaign.

Desabre Pleased With Leopards’ Response

Speaking after the match, Desabre praised his players for recovering from the early setback and producing a disciplined display against one of Europe’s heavyweights.

“We are happy. We earned our first point and delivered a good defensive performance against a great team,” Desabre told Sport TV, per Pan Africa.

“We were affected a little in the opening minutes, but we improved as the game went on.”

Knockout Stage Belief Remains Strong

The Leopards will next face Colombia, who began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, but Desabre believes his side’s destiny remains firmly in their own hands.

“This is a point in a major tournament. We are now focused on the next match, and we know that if we beat Colombia or Uzbekistan, we can qualify for the next round. That is good news for us.”

Set-Piece Masterclass Earns Equaliser

DR Congo’s leveller came from a cleverly executed set-piece routine when Samuel Moutoussamy played a short pass to Arthur Masuaku.

The full-back then whipped a ball in for Wissa power a header beyond Diogo Costa.

Desabre revealed that the goal was the result of extensive work on training-ground situations.

“We worked a lot on set-pieces. In two or three attacking situations we could have made better decisions, but we are happy with the draw and we wish Portugal all the best in the rest of the tournament.”

“We delivered a strong defensive display. The first match in tournaments like this is always difficult, but we are happy.”

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