DR Congo: Lionel Mpasi reflects on the Leopards’ World Cup run and discusses his future at Le Havre

After this disappointment against England, the disappointment was certainly there, admits Mpasi, but it quickly gave way to a stronger feeling. “Above all, it’s pride that prevails,” he confides. The goalkeeper says he felt, even out in the street, how much the Leopards had thrilled Congolese people far beyond their borders.

Against Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, he played one of those matches every goalkeeper dreams of as a child, multiplying saves before the pace of the highest level finally caught up with him. “I tried to do my job well and it lasted for 70 minutes,” he recounts, before fatigue and the opponent’s experience made the difference. He finds the scenario all the more frustrating given that the DRC had kept pace until the final quarter of an hour, after having led 1-0.

According to him, this World Cup also reflects the character of this team since Sébastien Desabre took over as coach: a hard-fought draw against Portugal when no one expected it, heroic resistance against Colombia, then a qualification snatched in agony against Uzbekistan. “We start slowly, we’re behind, but we never give up,” sums up Mpasi, who sees in this collective determination the true hallmark of this generation’s Leopards.

The highlight of the tournament was undoubtedly the moment shared around Cédric Bakambu after the elimination. The striker, usually reserved, spoke from the heart: “I am proud of you, guys,” he told them, in a moment Mpasi describes as the conclusion to an adventure that began well before the World Cup kicked off, fifty-two years after Congo’s last participation in the competition. “We want Congolese football to keep growing.”

Nevertheless, Lionel Mpasi doesn’t believe this campaign signals the end for this generation. “This World Cup is bound to bring changes, and we hope so,” he confides to Foot Mercato, before adding that he wants “Congolese football to continue to grow.” In his eyes, this World Cup is only a step in what he calls the wider recovery of the DRC.

A decision from the heart for the DRC, despite a spell with the French youth teams

Trained at PSG and having played with the French youth teams, Lionel Mpasi nevertheless never hesitated when the Congolese opportunity arose, while he was at Rodez. “I made the choice from the heart,” he confides, although his mother was skeptical at the time and, he says with a smile, “would be the happiest person about my decision now.”

Now an indispensable figure with 32 caps, the goalkeeper retraces a journey marked by patience: number two for four years at Rodez before making his mark, then a substitute upon arriving with the Congolese team. His first official match dates back to June 2023 against Gabon, in a crisis context for the Leopards, who were engaged in challenging qualifiers for the CAN 2023. “From the moment the coach put me on the field, I had to be good,” he recalls. “And I was.”

Regarding the arrival of dual nationals like Chancel Mbemba, Samuel Moutoussamy or, more recently, Sadiki, Mukau and Mbuku, Mpasi has only words of gratitude and sends a message to those still hesitating: “We also deserve to see our country shine at the World Cup. Don’t hesitate, come and we will welcome you with open arms!”

The discipline instilled by Sébastien Desabre, key to the recovery

The goalkeeper also revisits the methods of French coach Sébastien Desabre, who arrived at a time when the team was struggling even to win friendlies. He recalls a first uncompromising meeting, where the coach told them: “You have no idea, do you?” Since then, strict rules have governed the group:  financial penalties or exclusion in case of breach, a firmness that allegedly cost several regulars their place in the squad.

This regained confidence showed itself during the play-off won on penalties against Nigeria (1-1, 3-4 on penalties): it was Mpasi himself who apparently suggested Desabre save a substitution to bring on backup goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu before the shoot-out. “It was my idea,” he reveals. “Thank you to him for listening to me.”

Transfer market: one year left on his contract at Le Havre

On a personal note, Lionel Mpasi looks back on his first season in Ligue 1 with Le Havre, where he arrived as a backup behind Mory Diaw before getting his first minutes against Rennes, on January 18. He's pleased with his collaboration with coach Didier Digard, whom he says he followed back when the coach was still playing for Paris Saint-Germain, and is happy about his recent contract renewal at the Le Havre bench.

His relationship with Mory Diaw, whose path he has crossed three times since their days together at the PSG academy, then at Rodez and now at Le Havre, is now calm. “Our relationship is great,” he assures, believing it has greatly contributed to the Normand club’s survival, secured on matchday 34 thanks to a penalty saved by Diaw against Lorient.

Regarding his future at club level, with one year remaining on his contract at Le Havre, Mpasi says he is above all striving for playing time, whether in Normandy or elsewhere, at a club embarking on a transition season marked by the departure of several key figures, including sporting director Matthieu Bodmer.

Objective CAN 2027

Concerning the Leopards, the 28-year-old goalkeeper is already looking ahead to CAN 2027, where the DRC will enter the competition with a different status after their World Cup run. Without considering themselves favorites, he hopes “to do better than in the two previous competitions.” And, to conclude, without hesitation, he shares what remains, despite everything, his ultimate goal: “Winning a CAN with Congo, that’s my ultimate dream.”