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The coach of the DR Congo, Florent Ibenge. REUTERS / Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Florent Ibenge, the coach of the DRC's national football team, presented his resignation to the president of the Congolese Football Association (Fecofa) on Wednesday (August 7th). After five years with the Leopards, the bronze medal won at the CAN 2015 in Equatorial Guinea will be remembered.

This is a page that turns to Congolese national football: Florent Ibenge is no longer the Leopards coach. He himself announced his departure. The man had arrived in 2014 to succeed the French Claude Le Roy.

"I wish my successor good luck"

" Thanks to my staff at AS Vita club who helped me to join the national team. It is thanks to my results with AS Vita that I arrived at the position of coach. Thank you to all the team members and the players. I wish my successor good luck. I wish him the best and I hope he can take the national team further than me. I did five years and many people knew it was my last CAN, "said Florent Ibenge after meeting with the president of the Congolese Football Association, Constant Omari.

" But I'm always at the disposal of the team, " he added . Because the president [of the Fecofa] also offered me other positions, we will watch it quietly. The most important thing is that the DRC wins and will stay in my heart. "

Third of CAN 2015

During the time spent among the Leopards, Ibenge mostly experienced a semifinal at the 2015 CAN in Equatorial Guinea. The team will then climb on the third step of the podium. He will also win CHAN 2016.

Then, the results will go down. In 2017, the DRC is eliminated from the CAN in Gabon at the quarterfinals stage. The most resounding failure will certainly remain this non-qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Leopards drew 2-2 against Tunisia, at home, while the score was 2-0, 15 minutes before the final whistle.

The DRC also came out in the round of 16 at the last CAN in Egypt, beaten by Madagascar. " It's quite possible that this is my last game with the Leopards ," said Florent Ibenge right after this defeat. We are waiting to talk with the president. "

It should be noted that Florent Ibenge has embodied as a person the image of the local coach who is 100% invested in his mission. He did it with heart and dedication.