Sébastien Desabre accepts Uganda defeat in friendly

Sébastien Desabre has accepted DR Congo’s defeat by Uganda as part of a broader assessment of the national team. The coach’s priority in the friendly was to examine recently called-up players rather than focus solely on the result, while recognising that the performance fell below the expected level.

The Leopards lost 2-0 to the Uganda Cranes in Johannesburg on Friday, 2 October 2026. Desabre said the newcomers, including younger players experiencing African international football for the first time, should be given time to adapt. He also indicated that the match had exposed areas that require improvement before the next meeting.

DR Congo will face Uganda again on Monday, 5 October, in the second game of the friendly double-header. Desabre expects the new players to show more in that match and gain further international experience, while the technical staff will use both fixtures to assess the squad.

The conclusions from the camp will help shape the Leopards’ selections for November, when DR Congo is due to play the second and third rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Desabre said the team has significant strength in depth, but some players will need to raise their level before decisions are made on the next group.