A meeting with winless Uzbekistan in Atlanta provided the ideal opportunity to secure their round of 32 berth with a resilient draw to Portugal and spirited loss to Colombia meaning they were still in with a chance of a historic progression.
It was the worst possible start as Eldor Shomurodov broke the deadlock inside ten minutes with a beautiful dinked finish before a late Leopards surge helped them over the line, Yoanne Wissa continuing his fine tournament with a brace as well as a Fiston Mayele strike.
Having last appeared on the biggest stage 52 years ago, DR Congo now face a blockbuster tie with England on Wednesday as they aim to create more history against one of the favourites for the tournament.
Immense pride in historic achievement
Desabre offers his take on a memorable comeback victory.
“The nation are proud of their team,” the French-born boss said.
“We conceded a goal early in the game but like in our two recent games, we were able to bounce back and we showed a lot of selflessness and motivation.
“We had decided from the beginning of the competition to leave some players out in order to have freshness for the third match which seemed accessible to us.
“The players who had not participated in the first two matches brought a lot of freshness to my team and I think that it is quite logical we won in the view of the performance we offered.
“I would like to congratulate my players because they played a very good match,”
"The work shows the continuity of a group that has been together for four years and we continued to believe, continued to move forward.
“For us, the most important thing is that we’ve shown another beautiful image of DR Congo.”
Putting African football on the map
Although this year's iteration is the first of an expanded 48-team tournament, nine of the 10 African sides have progressed to the round of 32 with underdog stories like that of DR Congo and Cape Verde underlining the continent's growing strength.
The former Uganda manager expressed how important it is to have African nations excelling on the biggest stage.
“Of course, there is also an element of pride in the fact that many teams have qualified from the African continent,” he said.
“It is clear to see that it’s working, it’s progressing and there’s still room for improvement as well and we also want to try and help African football progress.”
Reaping the rewards of years of hard work
Desabre arrived in the DR Congo dugout during a difficult period for the nation, missing out on qualification to the 2022 World Cup which culminated in a heavy loss to Morocco in qualifying.
He has entirely reshaped Congolese football since penning a four-year deal in August 2022 and he takes the moment to reflect on such an extraordinary achievement.
“When we set out our objectives, we threw ourselves into this project,” Desabre explained.
“I had to rely on a core group of players who are extraordinary and it’s a real advantage for a coach to have so many good players who are above all good people.
“They are ready to give everything for the DR Congo jersey and there is of course a form of pride because a lot of work has been put in and we must remember that we cannot succeed alone.
“It’s a whole mechanism and today, I am very proud of my players because honestly, we have kept the same ones because we believed in them and tonight has proven us right.”
Eyes on England examination
The Leopards now face the daunting task of locking horns with England on Wednesday, heading into the game as huge underdogs as they have been for their first two games of the group stages.
Desabre explains his approach to locking horns with the Three Lions.
“We will prepare it in the most professional way possible and we will immediately put ourselves in the position to give our all in this round,” he said.
“A new competition begins, these are knockout matches and we also have some players who play in the English league so it’s good for everyone.
“It will be another big match to play and we will prepare well to try and win it.”
