AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Sébastien Desabre sets a target of 12 points to secure qualification

Ahead of their match against Sierra Leone on Thursday 12 November at the Stade des Martyrs, as part of the third matchday of qualifiers, the Leopards’ manager set out his sights at a pre-match press conference on 11 November.

He aims to secure 12 points by the end of the six matches in the campaign. For Desabre, the clash against Sierra Leone is of particular importance. A win would allow the Congolese to take a further step towards qualification, even before the end of the qualifying phase.

The Leopards’ manager, however, refuses to let overconfidence set in.

“We are on a six-match run. Our aim is to have 12 points at the end of these six matches and to secure qualification for the next Africa Cup of Nations. Thursday’s match against Sierra Leone is very important for the DRC. A victory for the Leopards would bring them closer to qualification ahead of schedule. But there is no question of counting our chickens before they hatch. So there’s no question of taking anything lightly,” he said.

The Leopards go into this third matchday as leaders of Group E with six points. They have won their first two matches and intend to build on this momentum against Sierra Leone to move even closer to their goal.