AFCON 2023: Desabre ready for ”last dance against” SA for bronze

Sebastien Desabre has set his sights on an AFCON 2023 third-place finish
Semi-finalists DR Congo and South Africa meet in the playoff tie in Abidjan
The valiant Leopards lost their semi-final match 1-0 to hosts Ivory Coast
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As the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 nears its conclusion, the Democratic Republic of Congo head coach, Sebastien Desabre, is determined to end the tournament on a high note.

Facing off against South Africa in the third-place playoff match scheduled for Saturday, February 10, both teams are eager to salvage pride after falling short in their semifinal encounters against Ivory Coast and Nigeria, respectively.

Despite the disappointment of their recent defeats, both the Leopards and Bafana Bafana have secured commendable earnings of USD 2.5 million (R47 million) for their efforts throughout the tournament.

The tournament winner in Cote d’Ivoire will receive USD 7,000,000 (R132 million), while the runner-up will get USD 4,000,000 (R75 million). Each of the four quarter-finalists USD 1,300,000 (R24 million), as reported by CAF Online.

Speaking ahead of the crucial match, set to be played at the Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny, Desabre expressed his team’s motivation to compete until the end.

While acknowledging the setback of their defeat against Ivory Coast, Desabre stressed the team’s determination to secure third place.

On the other hand, Bafana’s hopes of clinching their second AFCON title were dashed following a heart-wrenching loss to Nigeria in a penalty shootout. Despite a valiant effort that forced extra time with a late equalizer by Teboho Mokoena, they fell short in the shootout 4-2.

Similarly, DR Congo faced a bitter defeat against hosts Cote d’Ivoire in their semi-final clash, with Sebastien Haller’s lone goal sealing their fate. However, it was their first loss in the tournament, having shown resilience in the group stage and securing historic victories against Egypt and Guinea in the knockout rounds.

In anticipation of the upcoming match, it’s worth noting that South Africa narrowly edged DR Congo in their previous friendly encounter in September last year, with Bafana claiming a 1-0 victory, as reported by Goal.

The two sides last met in the AFCON in 2000, where South Africa emerged triumphant with a 1-0 win courtesy of Shaun Bartlett’s goal.