The appointment of Sébastien Desabre as head of the DRC national team will go down in history, but not for the reasons hoped for. Between communication blunder and phase shift between the protagonists: federation, Niort and Desabre, the arrival of the French technician takes place in the most eventful conditions. Like how the federation works…
While FECOFA was looking for publicity through its announcement, the first, on Saturday at the start of the afternoon, it instead attracted the wrath and mockery of the press and social networks. Everything except what she needed. The “bad” reputation for management of the Comex (read executive committee) of FECOFA which sticks to the coattails of the leaders is no secret to anyone, but if the detractors already had enough grain to grind, the management of the federation offered a golden dish.
The other sign of this true-false start happened in Niort, a French town located 8,160 km from the office of the federation on Avenue de la Justice in Gombe, where the appointment of Mr. Desabre was decided. Chance knowing how to do things well, “always the unexpected happens and it is never good” as the academician André Maurois said, Sébastien Desabre played his first match of the season in Ligue 2 BKT with Niort… the same Saturday evening. Chance of the calendar or coincidence between announcement and programming of the League, difficult to say.
Failed debuts on and off the pitch
A few hours after the first announcement, deleted on the FECOFA website, journalists and Congolese supporters activated the notifications to follow the reception of Bastia by the Chamois Niortais, some even left to follow the match in streaming. Led from the 1st minute then 4-0 in the 24th minute, Mr. Desabre had to eat away at his pain while the Congolese web reveled in mockery on the result, unflattering it must be admitted, of the future coach of the DRC.
This defeat, 1-5 in the final score, fell a few hours after the first leaks on the contract of the former Uganda coach. His mission will be to qualify the Leopards for the CAN in Côte d’Ivoire, Leopards who have two defeats in two outings, and win a CAN in 2026. Needless to say, a defeat in the French Ligue 2 for his match of opening and a coronation in Conakry, if the CAN takes place in Guinea as planned by CAF, will not be an easy task.
To try to regain confidence and restore the situation after this communication crisis, the federation and its new coach have their work cut out for them. Desabre knows the Congo and Africa, which will allow him to prepare strong nerves for the pressure that awaits him in Kinshasa. And then he won’t have much time. Even though his candidacy was confirmed, the secretary general of FECOFA, Belgian Situatala, brandished the threat of resorting to the 23 other files submitted after the call for candidates. This real-false start has the merit of fixing everyone, it will go in all directions between Mr. Desabre and his turbulent employer.
Iragi Elisha
–
