In the aftermath of Ivory Coast’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over DR Congo in the AFCON semifinal, coaches Sebastien Desabre and Emerse Fae provided contrasting perspectives on the outcome of the match and their teams’ performances.Desabre, at the helm of the Congolese squad, reflected on the intensity of the match, acknowledging his team’s strong start before conceding that Ivory Coast’s quality ultimately made the difference. He noted the significance of a disallowed goal early in the game, suggesting that it could have altered the course of the match.”It was a very intensive match,” Desabre remarked. “I have to admit Ivory Coast have a good team, and only a small thing made the difference, and that is what big teams do. We knew we had the ability to get the job done, but it wasn’t our day.” AFCON 2023: Home crowd ecstasy! Elephants stomp into the final thanks to Haller’s volleyDespite the semifinal loss, Desabre praised his players for their remarkable journey in the tournament and their efforts to raise awareness about the situation in Eastern Congo. The symbolic gesture of solidarity during the national anthem underscored the team’s commitment to highlighting pressing issues beyond the realm of football.Coach Sébastien Desabre: “The national team is a symbol of national pride and we wanted to use this opportunity tonight to highlight all the atrocities happening in eastern DR Congo 🇨🇩. We hope that the situation changes.” pic.twitter.com/9X0XHzQ3oZ— Usher Komugisha (@UsherKomugisha) February 7, 2024 “The boys deserve the plaudits,” Desabre affirmed. “As a technical unit, we are disappointed not to proceed to the final, but we now have a chance to review the performance and try to win the third-place playoff against South Africa on Saturday.” AFCON 2023: DR Congo football stars amplify call for peace in homeland ahead of semifinal##NAJAVA_MECA_7855503##Meanwhile, Ivory Coast’s Emerse Fae expressed his elation at his team’s unexpected success, emphasizing their deserving victory over DR Congo.”I am very happy – it is like a dream,” Fae exclaimed. “In this particular match, I would say we totally deserved to win as we were solid in all departments.”
