Côte d’Ivoire interim coach Emerse Fae says his team must play with it’s newfound confidence when they face DR Congo tomorrow in Abidjan.

Speaking at a Pre-Match Press conference, Fae emphasized the need for a positive approach in the game

“It’s true that in the last two matches, we had difficulty at the start. We conceded the first goal and we are struggling to come back to the score. Faced with the DRC, we will benefit from the confidence,” Said Fae.

“Before the Senegal match, we had come a long way. We had to restore confidence in the group. We must be united. When we look at the teams still competing, for example Nigeria, they have a solid group. Ivory Coast has individually talented players but it is through solidarity that we can win. We have to play on our newfound confidence to play our own game. Every time we make changes, the players have been decisive. When this is like this, we say that the coach has winning coaching. But it won’t be like that all the time.”

Meanwhile, Max Gradel believes it is time for the current generation of players to write their own legacy.

“The group’s state of mind is good. We will approach the match in good conditions. I think that each generation lives its time. The generation has had its time. The current generation is writing its history. It’s the same family. It is important to put your head in the right place. It will go very quickly. We refocused very quickly,” Gradel said.

Cote D’Ivoire battle DR Congo at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on Wednesday in the second semi-final at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations .

Kelvin Trudeau Musako

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