Women's AFCON Handball: Francis Tuzolana – "Reaching the semi-finals would be worthwhile"
Women's African Handball Championship: Francis Tuzolana speaks openly. The coach of the DR Congo women's team, the Leopards, is targeting the semi-finals.
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Sport News Afrique: Francis Tuzolana, DR Congo play their first match of the African Handball Championship this Thursday, 10 November. How has the team's preparation gone?
Francis Tuzolana: Preparation has gone well. We had a training camp in France in September and came to Dakar to fine-tune our preparation. Everything has gone well.
The DR Congo squad has changed a great deal compared with the one that took part in the last African Handball Championship in Cameroon and the World Championship in Japan. The group has been made much younger. Could that count against DR Congo in this tournament?
It's true that the team has changed a lot. We have made the group younger by bringing in several new players. It was important to think about the future and start a transition process. The players we have have potential, but they need to work. If we hadn't done it now, we would have done it later. As for whether it's a risk we're taking, only the competition will tell us. We remain confident in any case.
The usual goalkeepers Cecilia Errin and Murielle Nganmognd are both absent. Why are they missing?
Murielle is absent because she is coming back from injury. As for Cecilia, it's for personal reasons; we can only respect that choice and we hope to have her back in upcoming competitions. We have brought in a new goalkeeper and recalled a former one who has already played in competitions with the national team. We are going to stick with them and give them a chance in this tournament. We will certainly miss our two usual starters, but we will have to defend well to protect the goalkeepers we have here.
Have any players had physical problems during the preparation in Dakar?
No, there is nothing alarming, just a few minor niggles and a bit of fatigue, but nothing serious to report. The whole squad is fit and available.
You played a final friendly against Senegal, a very good sparring partner given their level. DR Congo lost (26-32). Is that already a first warning sign?
Nothing alarming; it was more a case of lessons learned. It was a good game that allowed us to work and put things in place. We could see what worked and what didn't, and it helped us gauge our level better. Despite conceding 32 goals, the game was decent. We had a poor start to the second half, but overall the girls performed well.
With such a young group, what is DR Congo's objective at this African Handball Championship?
As in every competition, the aim is to do better than the previous edition, when we failed to reach the semi-finals. We will take the matches one at a time, and if we manage to secure a World Cup ticket by reaching the semi-finals, that would be worthwhile.
You are in the same group as the reigning African champions, Angola. Cape Verde and Algeria are also there and seem to be within your reach. For the group stage, is the clear objective second place, or are you aiming to finish above Angola?
We aim for the best. We all know the strength of Angola, who have been the best team in Africa for decades now. We will play without pressure or inhibition, and then we'll see what happens. Algeria and Cape Verde are supposedly at our level or below. Personally, I'm wary. Algeria are rebuilding a side with big ambitions, and Cape Verde acquitted themselves well in Cameroon at the last African Handball Championship. This is not an easy group at all, because everyone will fight tooth and nail to qualify for the next round.
On the eve of your opening match, how is your group's morale? Are your players showing determination?
Morale is good and the atmosphere is good. For now, all the lights are green. The girls can't wait to start the competition. We will use these few hours before our opening game to fire up their mindset even more.
DR Congo will again be led by captain Christiane Mwassessa. The Congolese legend is getting older. Do you think she will pass on her experience to the younger players?
Christiane's experience is beyond question. As the years go by she gets older, but her qualities endure. For now she is with us at this African Handball Championship and we are making the most of her. She can help the team move forward and help the new young players develop. When she decides to leave, we will see what we can do.
Masiala Jonathan
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