Congo coach Issac Ngata has sought to allay any fears that their chaotic preparations will have a bearing on the outcome of their match against South Africa.
Ngata’s men take on Bafana Bafana in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Friday but they have not had ideal preparations.
They arrived in Gqeberha late on Thursday and had light training at the match venue. That is due to a reported rift between the football association and the government with the FA staff forcibly removed from office by military forces, putting their participation in the match in doubt.
However, Ngata is not willing to be dragged into the saga and is looking at the positives instead.
What has the Congo coach said about their woes?
“No, it's not a big deal because we were supposed to arrive yesterday [Wednesday], we were supposed to actually leave yesterday but because we heard that the airport closes at 08:00 pm, we wanted to leave earlier than that but we couldn't. It was nothing major but we managed to be here,” Ngata told SABC.
“It wasn't too bad but we are happy, we are very focused on this game even though we didn't have international players on time because you know that the league players play until Sundays. So, we managed to have them, we are happy with what we put together so far,” he added.
“There are no major changes, about three or four players that have injuries so that's the reason why we bring others, even though we don't have our three first-team players but we believe that with the pool that we pulled from, they are not new players that are coming in. They are the same players that we used to use but now we just bring them back into the team and we are ready for tomorrow's game.”
Ngata looking at positives ahead of Bafana clash
South Africa have four points from Group K, same as Uganda, while Congo are third on three. The two teams will face off again in four days in Brazzaville, making the match crucial for either side.
“South Africa are not ranked 10th by chance, they put in the effort, work. The coach started working from the ground to put the team where they are today. One of the best teams in Africa but we are also trying to put in the effort to build our team,” added Ngata.
“We are not what we want to be but with the work we are putting in, we believe our future looks bright.
“These two games are not just for us Congo but for all four teams because all four teams are in it. The gap is not big and it is very important for us because we play back-to-back. We have to keep ourselves among the top so that we do not lose grip.”
