The Democratic Republic of Congo suddenly has an unexpected chance of success in the African Cup of Nations, preparing to face hosts Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-finals in Abidjan, 50 years after they last won it.
Despite being constant participants, playing in their 19th Nations Cup, the Congolese have lost prominence in African soccer over the decades, following political instability, economic and infrastructural decline.
The former Zaire won the Nations Cup in 1974 and took part in the World Cup in West Germany the same year, representing the continent. Since then, however, the team has been unsuccessful, failing to qualify for the latest edition of the continental tournament in Cameroon two years ago.
Despite the imminent challenges against the hosts in the semi-finals, coach Sebastien Desabre remains optimistic: “We’re in the semi-finals, and it would be stupid not to believe that we can reach the final.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo reached the quarter-finals without a win, but showed consistency by convincingly beating Guinea 3-1 in Abidjan. The coach stresses the importance of this victory to strengthen the team in the competition, pointing out that although they have only won once, they have not been beaten in the tournament.
