DR Congo have appointed their technical director Christian N’sengi Biembe Sese Seko as the new head coach replacing Florent Ibenge .

Biembe has signed a one-year contract, with a half-yearly evaluation clause, to handle the national team, the Leopards.

“It was imperative and more than urgent to quickly put in place new technical staff, after the resignation of Florent Ibenge, with regard to the matches we have ahead of us,” said Theobald Binamungu, the co-ordinator of the national football teams of the DRC federation (Fecofa), who added his office had received 32 applications for the job without any solicitation.

“The top priority is the qualification to CHAN-2020 and getting past the Central African Republic over two legs next month.

“Then we have to qualify for the 2021 Cup of Nations. I will hand over then to the next coach who will come with his own goals for the other competitions. But I will be there as a technical director to add my input.”

Ibenge quit earlier this month as expected after a five year stint in charge, in which time he took the Leopards to three successive Cup of Nations finals, taking third place in 2015, reaching the quarter-finals in 2017, but his position looked tenuous after they were eliminated in the last-16 in Egypt last month by rookies Madagascar, going out in a shock post-match penalties defeat.

Ibenge will continue to coach Kinshasa giants AS Vita Club. He had long combined the two positions.