As the sun sets over the bustling city of Kinshasa, the anticipation is palpable in the air. Tomorrow, V.Club will face off against Maniema Union at the iconic Stade des Martyrs in what promises to be a riveting match in the 14th round of the national championship, Ligue 1, within Group B. The coach, Youssoupha Dabo, and his Dauphin Noir de Kinshasa team are gearing up to bounce back from a recent loss and draw against the formidable New Jack Green Angels.
In the lead-up to this crucial encounter, Youssoupha Dabo emphasizes the importance of maintaining a consistent playing philosophy and mindset, regardless of the challenges they face. He stresses the need for his team to focus on their own growth rather than getting caught up in the performances of their opponents. Every match, in his view, presents an opportunity for the team to showcase their capabilities, especially against a strong side like Maniema.
“Our mindset remains the same, we do not shift our focus based on the opponent. We play because there is a philosophy we are striving to establish. So, regardless of the team in front of us, what matters most is what we are capable of achieving. Tomorrow, we face Maniema, a team on a hot streak, brimming with confidence. It’s only natural. But it’s precisely matches like these that we, as a team, must use to demonstrate our potential. We know we lost to them in the first leg, we were strong for 70 minutes, and it’s those 70 minutes that we need to maintain for the full 95 minutes,” shared the V.Club coach during the pre-match press conference.
Expressing optimism about integrating new players into the squad while acknowledging the need for continuous improvement, Dabo emphasizes that their primary goal is not to top Group B, but to secure a spot in the playoffs and achieve the set objectives without being distracted by superficial achievements before the season ends.
“We hold ourselves to high standards, we don’t expect anyone else to do it for us. We are professionals, our job is to do things right, so we are demanding of ourselves. As I mentioned earlier, tomorrow’s match is on the level of the African Champions League because it involves a club from that competition. We need to demonstrate that we can compete at that level, and it’s precisely matches like these that we must leverage. If we are not motivated to play in such games, then we are not ready. When I arrived here, the first thing I told my president and the sports director, when they explained how the championship works, with the top six teams advancing to the playoffs, I said to them, for me, finishing first or sixth is the same. Because you can top the group and end up fourth in the playoffs. What’s the point? To me, that’s not the most important thing. The priority is to qualify for the playoffs. We are not focused on finishing first in our group. We have objectives. We have a major goal and intermediate goals. Those intermediate goals need to be met. They need to be met because there is no trophy at stake. The trophy comes at the end.”
As V.Club struggles to stand out and secure their first three points in this phase of the championship, they currently hold the third position with 23 points, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown at the Stade des Martyrs.