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<div><strong>DR Congo manager Sebastien Desabre was left ruing missed opportunities as his side's TotalEnergies CAF AFCON dream died against Cote d'Ivoire.</strong></div>
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<div>The Leopards succumbed 1-0 to the tournament hosts in Wednesday's semi-final, with Sebastien Haller scoring the winner.</div>
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<div>It means DR Congo miss out on a shot at a third continental crown.</div>
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<div>Instead, Desabre and his players were left crestfallen after exiting despite a spirited display. "My first impression is disappointment, considering the course of the match," lamented the Frenchman.</div>
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<div>Desabre pointed to multiple chances spurned in the first half as proving pivotal. Cedric Bakambu had a goal harshly disallowed before Yoane Wissa wasted a glorious one-on-one.</div>
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<div>"We didn't take advantage of our momentum," rued Desabre. "We tried to have all the offensive weapons to equalize, by changing the system, making substitutions, but unfortunately, it didn't happen."</div>
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<div>Despite the heartbreak, Desabre praised the performance and effort of his Congolese warriors. He acknowledged they faced brilliant opponents in 's Elephants.</div>
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<div>"It must be recognized that there was a great team from Cote d'Ivoire facing us. It didn't come down to much. We're disappointed tonight; we could have achieved a better result," Desabre conceded.</div>
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<div>Attention now turns to securing third place when DR Congo face South Africa on Saturday. "We are competitors, we need to quickly regroup. We have a match on Saturday to secure third place," stated Desabre defiantly.</div>
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<div>Reaching the last four capped impressive progress for DR Congo in Desabre's first tournament. The Frenchman has moulded a youthful, dynamic team who could yet leave AFCON 2023 with heads held high.</div>
