No Fear for DR Congo Against Ronaldo-Led Portugal, Coach Says
Coach Sebastien Desabre said DR Congo will play without fear and use its Europe-based squad to challenge Portugal in its first World Cup match in 52 years.
- On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Portugal faces the Democratic Republic of Congo at NRG Stadium in Houston, marking the start of their Group K campaign with a 6pm BST kick-off.
- Returning to the World Cup after a 52-year absence, the Democratic Republic of Congo last appeared as Zaire in 1974. The team qualified by defeating Nigeria in the African play-off final.
- Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, aims to become the first man to score in six separate World Cups during this tournament. Ronaldo has already scored eight goals across 22 previous appearances.
- Congo coach Sebastien Desabre intends to "take risks" and "play without fear" against Portugal's star-studded side. He emphasized his team will focus on collective defense rather than solely targeting Ronaldo.
- Representing 100 million Congolese citizens, Desabre's squad aims to advance from Group K, which also features Colombia and Uzbekistan. The team hopes its European-based players can trouble the favored Portuguese side.
49 Articles
49 Articles
Democratic Republic of the Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said Tuesday that his team is excited and fearless to face the Portugal of Cristiano Ronaldo, whom they hope to neutralize collectively.
Tonight, the DR Congo team takes to the field at the kick-off of a World Cup for the first time in half a century. In Houston, they face dark horse Portugal. It is a boost for Congolese football, which is slowly climbing out of the slump. For analyst Gilles Mbiya-Beya and former footballer Paul Beloy, both with Congolese roots, it is more than 'just' a match.
The 2026 World Cup has four more games for the first round of the group phase this Wednesday, June 17. The debuts of Portugal and England, two selections that reach the tournament among the candidates for the title, are the highlights of the agenda of the day, which will also have the first commitments of Colombia, Uzbekistan, Ghana, Panama and RD Congo. The day of the World Cup begins at 2 pm (from Brasilia), when Portugal faces the RD Congo by…
In anticipation of the game in front of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the national selector gave praise to the opponent. Still, a body of a young man was found by the bar of Albufeira in Faro.
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