Democratic Republic of Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre believes his side were worth their victory over the Super Eagles in Sunday’s CAF World Cup play-offs final, Footynaija.com reports.
Desabre’s men endured the worst possible start to the game after Nigeria took a third minute lead through Frank Onyeka’s deflected long-range strike. However, they stayed in the game and fought their way back into contention courtesy of Meschack Elia’s equalizer after the half hour mark.
The keenly contested affair saw DR Congo give a very good account of themselves against their superior opponents, taking the Super Eagles all the way into extra-time before coming out on top of a nerve-wracking penalty shootout that ended 4-3 after twelve spot kicks.
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Reacting after the game, Desabre, who could not hide his delight at the result, claimed the Leopards deserved their win over the Super Eagles based on performance.
“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,” Desabre said.
“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.
“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.”
Desabre and the Leopards will now turn their attention to the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament set to kick off in less than a month while also anticipating the inter-confederation play-offs where they will battle for the chance to secure a first World Cup appearance in five decades.
