DR Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre has described his side’s 1-1 draw with Portugal as a step forward, after the Leopards earned their first-ever FIFA World Cup point and scored their maiden goal at the tournament, www.aclsports.com reports.
The African side produced a disciplined and spirited display to recover from an early setback in their first World Cup appearance in 52 years.
Portugal took the lead in the 6th minute when João Neves marked his World Cup debut with a well-taken header from a Pedro Neto cross. However, DR Congo responded in first-half stoppage time as Yoane Wissa converted from a set-piece routine to register their first World Cup goal and secure a historic result.
Speaking after the match, Desabre expressed pride in his players’ response on the big stage.
“Yes, indeed, it brings a lot to us. It is a step forward for us,” he said. “We are proud to have scored our first goal and earned our first point for our country at this World Cup.”
He praised the mentality of his squad, who remained compact and competitive against a Portugal side that dominated possession for long spells.
“I think the players showed a good image. We gave everything we had against Portugal, and we are delighted. We will now recover and prepare for the next match,” he added.
Desabre also highlighted the importance of set-piece preparation, which led to the equaliser.
“It came from a set piece. He has an excellent right foot, and we have worked on this. It’s something we prepared for,” he said.
Looking ahead, he stressed the importance of quickly turning attention to their next Group K fixture against Colombia.
“We focused mostly on this one, but of course we know our opponents. After tonight’s game, we can say we did well. Now we must recover and focus on Colombia.”
For Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo made history by becoming only the second player, after Lionel Messi, to feature at six FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Head coach Roberto Martínez admitted his side lost attacking intensity after taking the lead, allowing DR Congo to grow into the contest and eventually find their way back into the match.
“We showed that until the first goal. When we scored, the mindset became more about not losing the advantage rather than trying to score again,” Martínez said.
He acknowledged Portugal’s lack of sharpness in the final third.
“We didn’t create enough chances, and we lost that intention of scoring a second goal,” he added.
Martínez explained that Portugal’s game management allowed DR Congo to regain structure and launch counter-attacks.
“It became more about keeping the ball in areas where Congo could reset their structure. That gave them opportunities to get closer to our goal,” he said.
Despite the result, he insisted there were positives to take into the remainder of the tournament, referencing previous World Cup turnarounds as motivation.
Portugal will face Uzbekistan in their next Group K fixture, while DR Congo take on Colombia as both sides continue their World Cup campaign.
