Abidjan, Cote D’ Ivoire, Feb. 08, GNA – DR Congo Coach Sebastien Desabre has attributed his side’s defeat to Cote D’ Ivoire to the near misses in the course of the game.
The Leopards succumbed 1-0 to the tournament hosts in Wednesday’s semi-final, with Sebastien Haller scoring the winner.
According to Desabre, his players were left crestfallen after exiting despite a spirited display.
“My first impression is disappointment, considering the course of the match,” he lamented.
Desabre pointed to multiple chances spurned in the first half as proving pivotal.
Cedric Bakambu had a goal harshly disallowed before Yoane Wissa wasted a glorious one-on-one.
“We didn’t take advantage of our momentum. We tried to have all the offensive weapons to equalize, by changing the system, making substitutions, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”
Despite the heartbreak, Desabre praised the performance and effort of his Congolese warriors. He acknowledged they faced brilliant opponents in Elephants.
“It must be recognized that there was a great team from Cote d’Ivoire facing us. It didn’t come down to much. We’re disappointed tonight; we could have achieved a better result,” Desabre admitted.
DR Congo would now face South Africa on Saturday in the third-place game.
GNA