Head coach of Congo’s U23 team, Claude Le Roy, is not worried about ‘powerful’ Nigeria U23 side ahead of Sunday’s Rio Olympic qualifier in Pointe Noire.
This is even as the coach boasted that his side has everything it requires to send the highly-rated Nigerian side packing from the qualifiers.
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Africafootball.com reports that Le Roy, while speaking to his players on Friday, said: “I am convinced that something is going to happen. We are aware of what is lying ahead of us on Sunday; we know that some mountains have to be climbed.
“In the first leg, we lost the mental battle. It is up to you, individually and collectively, to give your best to clinch the qualification on Sunday.
“Make all the sacrifices. We have everything to gain by sending Nigeria packing. Keep the momentum going, we can achieve a great feat.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria won the first leg 2-1 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, on July 19 and will progress to the final round of qualifying if it avoids defeat at the Stade Municipal, Pointe Noire.
A 1-0 win for Congo’s U23 side will, however, be enough to put the 1996 Olympic champions to the sword but Le Roy reckons the fixture will be anything but straight forward.
“We know we have to win 1-0 to qualify. We have our fans behind us and we will prepare very well for the game.
“We are not a Dream Team but we are a team dreaming (of qualifying for the Olympics),” the veteran coach told Supersport.com.
He added that the Nigeria team was stronger than Congo while claiming that he was not losing sleep over stopping Samson Siasia’s charges in Pointe Noire.
“Nigeria is better than us. We will not pretend about that.
“However, Nigeria (senior national team) was also stronger than us when we beat them (3-2 in Calabar in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier).
“I am not worried about Nigeria because I have too much work trying to prepare my team for the game (on Sunday),” he said.
Le Roy is obviously banking on the arrival of his foreign-based professionals, who included Hardy Samarange Binguila, Charlevy Mabiala, Kader Bidimbou, Boukama Kaya and Yoane Andzouana. The players missed the first leg in Port Harcourt and Le Roy has fortified the team ahead of the battle in Pointe Noire.
Daily Independent.
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