The final match of the Africa Cup of Nations will be played this Saturday, February 10. In the run-up to tomorrow's final, DR Congo will take on South Africa with the aim of consoling themselves with a third-place finish and rounding off their fine run in style.
Despite a solid performance, DR Congo fell to hosts Côte d'Ivoire in the semi-finals of the AFCON. Against a complicated political backdrop, the Leopards are aiming to finish on a high note with a third-place finish, and allow their people to savor this bronze medal.
"We have to start on a positive note. We've come a long way, we've shown some good things and we don't want a grain of sand to derail the machine. We're going to give it everything we've got to bring this medal home and present it to the Congolese people, who are soccer fans," emphasized Sébastien Desabre in his pre-match press conference. Solid and combative, this Congolese team has great potential, and their campaign will serve as a benchmark for years to come. "We still have room for improvement. The results will be positive, and we'll be doing everything we can to improve this national team for years to come," says the DR Congo coach. Defender Dylan Batubinsika insists that, despite the disappointment, victory is essential. "I think we have a mixture of feelings with the elimination, but we have the ambition to go and get this medal... We have to stay mobilized to finish at least with this third place".
South Africa: regenerate mentally
South Africa, on the other hand, may have a hangover from their painful semi-final defeat by the Super Eagles. After holding off Nigeria to take them through on penalties, Bafana Bafana came within touching distance of reaching the final. Coach Hugo Broos insists that the match will come down to mental recovery.
"We played a very good game against Nigeria. It was a great performance and we showed once again that we are a great team. When you go out after 120 minutes, it's always a huge disappointment. When you play so well, the disappointment is so great. Today's game is special. It depends a little on which team has recovered mentally, because even for the DRC, it was difficult to lose like that," warns the Belgian coach, who guided South Africa to their first semi-final since 2000. Undoubtedly the most attractive team at this year's AFCON, the South Africans have the opportunity to conclude the tournament in style this Saturday.
