Exclusive interview: Yves Diba Ilunga full of praise for Desabre

Yves Diba Ilunga, the former striker of DR Congo, was effusive in his praise for Sébastien Desabre in an exclusive statement to Foot Africa.

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Just look at the results from the latest AFCON to confirm the positive momentum instilled by coach Desabre. It's true that the pressure surrounding World Cup qualification weighed on some of the coach’s decisions and impacted the quality of our national team's play (high pressing, quick transitions). The arrival of Bissaka and the emergence of young talents like Mukau and Sadiki at club level could free up the squad, allowing the useful (qualification) to go hand in hand with the enjoyable (attractive football). His tenure has been impressive—the results speak for themselves. Still, caution is necessary: the hard-fought wins in recent matches against less formidable nations are a sign that the positive momentum is stalling, and changes are needed, especially on the wings, where some players’ motivation no longer matches the big ambitions the nation is aiming for.

Desabre’s record with the “Leopards”

Since taking charge of the “Leopards,” the French coach has overseen 31 matches, achieving 15 wins, 8 draws, and 8 losses, with an average of 1.71 points per match.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.