With a blend of high standards, humility, and quiet confidence, the Leopards’ coach explains to Flashscore the keys to DR Congo’s revival and sets the tone ahead of a tournament where DR Congo approaches with measured but genuine ambitions.
Flashscore: What’s your state of mind just before AFCON 2025?
Sebastien Desabre: "We’re in the mindset of a team preparing for one of the world’s biggest tournaments. As you know, we got the players back a bit late. We played a friendly yesterday, which went well, and it allowed us to give some game time to players who needed it. The squad is motivated and eager to get to Morocco to get down to business."
You have a rich background in African football (winner of the Ivory Coast Cup in 2011, Cameroon league champion in 2013, Angola league champion in 2015, reached the round of 16 at AFCON 2019 with Uganda). In France, you’re less well known, but your results in Africa speak for themselves. Who is Sebastien Desabre?
"I also spent two years in Ligue 2, at Niort. But it’s true that my career quickly led me to Africa, and it clicked right away. I got results there and, above all, I learned to appreciate working on this continent.
I come from the amateur game. I’ve now been a coach for almost 20 years, with over 15 years at the professional level. That’s nearly 400 matches at this level. And I’m still growing, still learning. This will be my third AFCON, so I’m starting to build up some experience, even if I always keep a mindset of progress."
This is your third AFCON, and your second with DR Congo. Regarding your team: how do you explain the spectacular footballing turnaround in DR Congo since you took over in 2022?
"Above all, it’s a lot of hard work. I’m well supported, with a quality staff and a government that’s very invested in the team. And, most importantly, there are some very talented players with a highly professional attitude.
"All these factors combined allowed us to put together a coherent project. We started at 75th in the FIFA rankings and now we’re up to 56th. There’s still a long way to go, but we’re moving forward. Congolese football, with its mix of dual nationals and local players, deserves this recognition."
Let’s focus on that. What were the keys and ingredients to reviving what’s considered one of Africa’s football giants, a sleeping giant?
"The key is professionalism. Professionalising the structure around the national team, instilling discipline and real game rigour. But also providing an environment where players can fully express themselves, with standards close to what they’re used to at their clubs. Today, the organisation of the national team is top-level, and you can see it on the pitch."
When you arrived in 2022, your main goal was to build a team to qualify for AFCON 2025. Now, you’re on the verge of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, having already secured a spot at AFCON 2025. What explains this acceleration in your initial project?
"I always believed in this project, and I was right to do so. The main goal remains World Cup qualification, after more than 50 years of waiting. That’s what we’ve been working towards for three and a half years. We’ve already reached an AFCON semi-final, and another one is coming up.
"The idea is to confirm what we showed in Ivory Coast and, above all, to put DR Congo back on the right track for the long term, building on the work started before I arrived, especially with Florent Ibenge."
Let’s talk about Congo’s goals and ambitions for the upcoming AFCON. The Congolese want to win the tournament – their passion is well known – but many see you at least as semi-finalists and with the status of outsiders. What is DR Congo’s real objective in Morocco?
"We take it step by step. The first is to get out of the group stage. Right now, our only focus is the first match against Benin. After that, it’s knockout football.
"In this kind of tournament, anything can happen: you need to play well, have a bit of luck, and the right circumstances. The level at AFCON keeps rising, making every run even more demanding."
You mention DR Congo’s strengths, and we’ve seen how important a player like Chancel was in the playoffs, with his winning goal against Cameroon and the penalty against Nigeria. How do you explain a defender being so decisive? What’s his role in the dressing room, beyond being captain?
"Chancel (Mbemba) is a natural leader. He doesn’t need to say much. His attitude and professionalism lift the whole group, especially the younger players.
"Like Cedric Bakambu, Arthur Masuaku, or Gael Kakuta, I’m lucky to rely on key players who are deeply committed to the country. We might have good or bad days on the pitch, but this team never lacks resilience or fighting spirit."
After the Casablanca disappointment (losing 4-1 to Morocco in the second leg of the playoffs on March 29, 2022), what convinced Bakambu to stay with the national team and remain a key player at 34, after he’d announced he wanted to retire from international football?
"There was nothing to convince. These players love their country. As long as they can serve the nation, they’re here. They’ve also seen that the standards have been raised, on and off the pitch. These are players who need that level of discipline and fully buy into it."
I’d like you to talk about Noah Sadiki, one of your young talents, who’s had an impressive start to the season at Sunderland. How did he manage to make an immediate impact and take control in midfield, in a team that reached the last AFCON semi-finals?
"We brought him in gradually. With young players, you always have to protect them as much as possible, because the pressure is huge and judgments can be very quick. At first, he got a few minutes, then he started, especially against Ethiopia. After that, he earned his place.
"It gives us the flexibility to make choices based on our tactical options. The midfield is very competitive, but over the past few months, especially at Sunderland, he’s really stepped up."
Will this AFCON serve as preparation for the decisive 2026 World Cup playoff next March? To what extent can this tournament be a reference point before the most important match for DR Congo in the last 50 years?
"No. We’re only thinking about the present. The most important match is always the next one. For us, right now, that’s Benin. It’s just as important as any playoff."
Yesterday, you played against Zambia (2-0). What lessons did you take from that, just days before AFCON kicks off?
"We have a very balanced squad. There were a lot of changes, both at kickoff and at halftime. What stands out to me is that, no matter the choices, injuries, or dips in form, we remain competitive."
You mentioned local football earlier. A word about Fiston Mayele, recently named the best African player playing in Africa. What’s the current state of local Congolese football, and how can these talents contribute to the national team?
"Fiston is a great example. He came from the local league, moved through Tanzania, and then joined Pyramids.
"The downside is that, back home, the league isn’t yet structured enough to keep its talents. Many go to play elsewhere in Africa. We have a lot playing in Tanzania, others in Angola, and some in North African countries. But I remain positive: it’s an area for growth. We have players in the squad who came from local football or have experienced it, and that connection is essential. The day the league becomes more competitive, the impact on the national team will be obvious.
"We know very well that when the league is strong, when DR Congo clubs reach the Champions League final, or the semi-finals, as was the case a few years ago with TP Mazembe, naturally, players from the local league are brought into the national team. And that’s important to keep that local connection. In our squad, there are dual nationals, but we also have what I call local players, those who’ve played in the domestic league, like Edo Kayembe, Chancel Mbamba, or Fiston Mayele."
That leads to my next question. What’s your stance on local football that seems to be losing ground on the continent? If we look back to the early 2010s, a club like TP Mazembe reached the 2010 Club World Cup final. Now, we see many dual nationals in DR Congo. How can we promote players from the domestic league? What steps are being taken to revive local football?
"Let’s not put the cart before the horse. First, you have to understand the context. For over three years, there’s been no elected federation, just a normalisation committee of four people appointed by FIFA.
"The day a strong, independent federation is in place, with a real technical department and resources for youth, everything will take off again, that’s clear. That’s the foundation of any successful football system, in Africa or elsewhere.
"After that, I’m not here to give advice. But for the past three and a half years, I’ve lived this every day. For any league that works, in Africa or anywhere, for any successful team, for any youth system that works, there’s always an organised federation with energy and sporting policies.
"So, before talking about reorganising the league, Congolese football needs a strong federation and a technical department with the means to develop its youth football project."
About the recent defeat to Senegal (where you led 2-0 but lost 3-2 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers), some critics at home mentioned 'selfish' choices. How do you deal with the pressure in Congolese football, which can be so demanding and passionate?
"We’re built for that. I’ve coached big African clubs, Wydad Casablanca, Espérance de Tunis, sometimes in front of 80,000 fans. We know things can go very well or not so well. We stay focused on our work and always give our best. Sometimes that’s enough, sometimes it’s not. That’s football.
"Right now, in our last nine matches, we have eight wins and one loss, to Senegal. They’re a great team, qualified for the World Cup. We’ve chosen a different path to get there."