ABIDJAN – South Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo will be looking at bowing out in style of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
Both sides were knocked out of the title race during the semi-finals where Bafana Bafana were edged 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Nigeria, while DR Congo lost by a slim 1-0 margin against hosts, Côte d’Ivoire.
While both sides will be disappointed with the semi-final exit, the third and fourth place play off presents the perfect opportunity for either side to go home with the consolation of being the third best team of the competition.
D.R Congo’s dream of reaching the AFCON final is over after losing to host Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 at the Stade Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe, Abidjan.
Despite a good run, DR Congo will not be making another final.
The Leopards made their last final appearance in 1974 and won what still stands as their last AFCON trophy, cafonline reported.
Before the triumph in 1974, DR Congo formerly known as Zaire, had won the AFCON for the first time in 1968 in Ethiopia.
D.R Congo started their CAF AFCON Côte d’lvoire 2023 campaign with three draws but gathered momentum in the knockout phase where they knocked out record holders, Egypt and Guinea in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively.
But the step was too high in the last four against Côte d’Ivoire as they lost by 1-0.
The DR Congo had not reached this stage of the CAF AFCON since 2015 in Equatorial Guinea, and had been dreaming of reaching the final for 50 years.
Elsewhere, Guinea-Bissau will not extend manager Baciro Cande’s contract after a disappointing AFCON 2023 campaign.
Cande departs after seven years in charge of the national team.
The Djurtus crashed out in the group stage after losing all three matches. It marked a meek end for Cande, whose tenure will expire next month.
Appointed in 2016, Cande led Guinea-Bissau to four consecutive AFCON tournaments – a record for the West African nation.
But the 56-year-old failed to win any of their 12 finals matches under his stewardship. His reign ended with a whimper in Ivory Coast.
Cande joins numerous coaching casualties following the 2023 event. Heavyweights like Egypt’s Rui Vitoria, Chris Hughton of Ghana and Algeria’s Djamel Belmadi also left their posts.
For Guinea-Bissau though, this spells a fresh start after Cande’s solid foundations. His replacement faces a rebuild, starting with the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF AFCON qualifiers.
Despite the recent disappointments, Cande helped put Guinea-Bissau on the map. Reaching four straight CAF AFCONs was an admirable achievement for the side.
Now Guinea-Bissau’s football federation hopes a new coach can lead to greater fortunes. After years of valiant efforts under Cande, progression is the next target.
Cande deserves credit for elevating Guinea-Bissau amidst meager resources. But their winless CAF AFCON record prompted an inevitable change.
Whoever succeeds Cande must inject new ideas while building on his pioneering work with the Djurtus. Exciting times may yet wait for the Wild Dogs.
