World Cup (Q): Desabre says DR Congo were better than Nigeria

Democratic Republic of Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre refused to be drawn into black magic claims by Nigeria coach Eric Chelle only maintaining his side deserved to win the qualifying final to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

During the African Play-off final at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Sunday, the Leopards kept their 2026 FIFA World Cup dream alive after beating the Super Eagles 4-3 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

DR Congo spirit remained high despite trailing 1-0

“We’re operating in a healthy environment that puts the players in the best possible position to perform. I’ve always been convinced that my team was capable of reaching this level,” said Desabre as quoted by Complete Sports.

“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 added: “We must congratulate the players, but also everyone who works around the team, as well as the government, His Excellency the President of the Republic and the Minister of Sports, who truly support their team.

“Nigeria also deserves to be congratulated. The match was very close. We could have not qualified, but overall, I think we deserved the victory. Now it’s time to celebrate. We’ve just played 12 matches under a lot of pressure, and I know these battles have been a long time coming. We play to bring joy.”

DR Congo had eliminated Cameroon with a stoppage-time strike from Mbemba. The win enabled DR Congo, who last appeared at a World Cup in 1974 as Zaire, to advance to the inter-confederation play-off from 23-31 March 2026.