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A team from DR Congo a little " lost ", who " did not give it all " and who " plays two at a time ". The "Leopards" did not look for excuses after their poor performance against the Ugandans (0-2), in Group A of the 2019 African Cup of Nations, June 22 in Cairo. All point to a mental problem to be corrected before a crucial match against Egypt, the host country of CAN 2019, scheduled for June 26.
From our special envoy in Cairo,
" We knew that winning the first game in a 24-team CAN opened almost the doors of a qualification in the round of 16. So it's a big morale blow. Especially now that we have to face Egypt ... "Florent Ibenge, the coach of the DR Congo team, struggles to hide his disappointment, June 22 in Cairo, after the 0-2 loss to his face to Ugandans. More than the result, it is the way that seems to affect it. " We have to congratulate Uganda of course, but we have gone through a collective bankruptcy. We missed the fighting spirit , sighs the technician. You can put in place any tactic, if the desire is not there, there is nothing to do .
Lack of enthusiasm or strategy problem during this group A meeting? For midfielder Paul-José Mpoku, it's a bit of both. " We played against a team that was in place, who was tactically ready, who knew what to do ," says number 10. Unfortunately, we were a bit lost. We did not win the first ball, we did not win the second either ... We did not give it a go. That's paying off cash against more aggressive teams . "
► To read also: CAN 2019: the DRC falls in front of Uganda
A group in doubt ?
Winger Yannick Bolasie tries to put things in perspective: " We lost to a better team tonight, quite simply. Today, it was not our day. But he also adds, " We do not look for excuses. But the preparation of the team was difficult. "
In recent weeks, the "Leopards" have experienced some setbacks that may have disrupted their approach to CAN 2019. To the point of not being ready on the day? " If you do not win and you lose like that ... We were ready maybe, but we did not show it. It's good to say we're ready but it's better to demonstrate on the ground , loose Paul-José Mpoku. It is now necessary for everyone to look in a mirror and everyone to take responsibility. We must forget this match as soon as possible and hope that the next is better .
► Also read: CAN 2019: Calendar, results and standings of the Africa Cup
Show something else against Egypt
The next will be against the favorite of Group A and the competition, Egypt, June 26 in Cairo. " For me, we have to give everything, first of all ," says Mpoku. Because today we did not give, we were not thoroughly. But if we are good and we win duels, I think we can make a good result against this team of Egypt .
Florent Ibenge said: " After showing this image of ourselves, we are especially in the idea of showing something else, because the DRC is not that. "Yannick Bolasie concludes on a more positive note:" We are looking forward to playing against teams like Egypt, a host country, in a full stadium. This is the kind of meeting you want to play. "