Afrobasket: why the DR Congo Leopards are back on the rise
The DR Congo men's basketball team appear to be rising from the ashes after a thoroughly wretched Afrobasket 2021.
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We may be witnessing a revival of the DR Congo men's basketball national team. The Leopards sprang a surprise in Dakar, winning all three of their games in the first window of the Afrobasket 2025 qualifiers. Drawn in Group A, the Congolese beat Mali (72-64), Morocco (74-65) and, most notably, South Sudan (76-69).
A reshaped coaching staff, a retained core
DR Congo travelled to Dakar with a reshaped coaching staff. And many analysts believe it is largely down to the new staff that the Leopards were able to get back on their feet, having been written off after their fiasco at Afrobasket 2021 in Rwanda, where they went out in the first round.
In the new coaching staff, only Pierrot Ilunga has kept his job as assistant coach. The new head coach is Frenchman Michel Perrin. The 59-year-old has plenty of experience in Europe, and also in Africa, where he has worked in Guinea among other places. Alongside Pierrot Ilunga, he is assisted by Elysé Kalenda, coach of BC Chaux Sport, the DR Congo champion club.
Read also: Afrobasket 2025 (Q): DR Congo and Senegal make a splash in Dakar
The other explanation for this fine performance is that the DR Congo team kept the core of their last Afrobasket squad, but with a better mindset.
There were senior figures such as Jordan Sakho, Christian Lutete, Shekinah Munanga, Rolly Fula, Matthieu Kamba, Garmine Kande and Yannick Nzosa. A few players have come into the squad, such as the guards Fernand Loubaki and Noë toto Cuma, as well as big man Florent Thamba. Veterans such as Jordan Sakho and Christian Lutete carried the team in Dakar, averaging 16.7 and 19 points per game respectively.
The desire to earn respect at home
This performance can also be explained by the Leopards' desire to earn more recognition locally. It is true that Congolese basketball players are not regarded in the same way as their football counterparts. They travelled to Senegal without state funding and hope the government subsidy will arrive quickly given what they achieved in Dakar. "Beyond the emotion after the win, it's what happens back home that will give us ideas and extra resources to move forward. It's essential for the people working so that results come ", said head coach Michel Perrin after the win over South Sudan.
Group leaders DR Congo need only one win in the second window to qualify for Afrobasket 2025. The second window will take place from 21 to 23 February 2025