FIFA WC 2026: ‘We are still fighting,’ says DR Congo manager after Colombia defeat

Guadalajara, June 24 (IANS) Democratic Republic of the Congo manager Sebastien Desabre has urged his players to remain positive and continue believing in their chances of reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage despite suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia in Group K.

The African nation, making its first World Cup appearance since 1974, now sits third in the group with one point from two matches. DR Congo must defeat Uzbekistan in its final group fixture in Atlanta on Saturday to keep alive any hope of progressing to the round of 32.

Speaking after the loss at Guadalajara Stadium, Desabre admitted the result was disappointing but stressed that his team could not afford to dwell on it.

“We need to accept the loss, keep our heads high and get back into the fight quickly,” Desabre told reporters after the match as quoted by Xinhua.

Colombia secured all three points through a late goal from Daniel Munoz, who finally broke DR Congo’s resistance after a disciplined defensive performance from the African side for much of the contest.

Desabre acknowledged that Colombia had been the better team on the night and deserved the victory.

“It would have been good to get a draw, but we must recognize that Colombia was superior,” he said. “They have an excellent possession game. We came into the game late. Our second half was better, but that’s football. We have to analyze what happened and move forward.”

Despite the setback, the French coach remains encouraged by his team’s progress during the tournament. DR Congo earned its first-ever World Cup point with a 1-1 draw against Portugal in its opening match, a result that also brought the nation’s first goal at the global showpiece.

“We are happy to have scored our first goal, and we are using this as a learning experience. Uzbekistan will be difficult because they defend well, but we are going to give our all. Now we have to rest and recover our energy,” he said.

–IANS

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