The Ivory Coast U20 women's team wants to beat DR Congo to avoid any unpleasant surprises, says Matthieu Esposito

The Elephants are in Congo for the second leg of the third round of the African qualifiers for the U20 Women's World Cup.

Ivory Coast goes into this match with a scoring advantage after winning the first leg 2-0 in Abidjan. With the second leg taking place on Saturday 14 February at the Kibassa Maliba Stadium in Lubumbashi, the Ivorian team's coach spoke to the press on Friday 13 February.

For Matthieu Esposito, despite the advantage, his team still needs to strike hard on Congolese soil to confirm their place in the final round of African qualifiers for the 2026 U20 Women's World Cup in Poland.

‘We're here to win. That's the best way to avoid being suspended.’

The second leg of the third round will kick off on Saturday at 1 pm GMT at the Kibassa Maliba Stadium in Lubumbashi. A win or a draw will be enough for the Ivory Coast U20 women's national team to qualify for the final round of African qualifiers.