Congo coach Desabre eyes more than just a draw after Portugal tie

Sébastien Desabre, the coach of the Congo national football team, declared that while drawing with Portugal was a significant accomplishment for his country, the team is driven to achieve more. Their ultimate goal is to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup.

"We drew and got a point; that means we did something good, but as I told my players, it's not enough because we still have to string together good performances," Desabre stated at a press conference. The team is set to face Colombia in Guadalajara in a pivotal Group K match. A victory for Congo would place them firmly in contention for the round of 32, while a win for Colombia would secure their progression.

Desabre emphasized the high motivation among his players, asserting their commitment to playing to their fullest potential. "My players have great motivation and we are going to play our cards to the fullest because we have that mentality in Congo. There is no other way," he added. The French coach anticipates the match against Colombia will be as challenging as the game against Portugal, but he remains optimistic about his team's prospects.

"Colombia is still a good team, favorites for this match, as they are twelfth in the world rankings, but we are capable of doing good things," Desabre explained. Midfielder Aaron Tshibola echoed this sentiment, stating that the team plans to press for the ball, exploit spaces, and play with solidarity, mirroring their approach against Portugal. "Against Portugal, we were aggressive in transition; we are a threat going forward; we are a difficult team to overcome," Tshibola asserted.