Mirroring the complementary relationship in attack is a harmonious central midfield partnership. Delvin N’Dinga holds the keys in midfield. Striding past him is Stade Reims’ Prince Oniangue, who scores many goals with perfectly timed runs and his aerial prowess. Unfortunately for Le Roy, the base of Congo’s spine is not as solid.
Nevertheless LeRoy’s 4-4-2 is uniform entity; very rarely is the defence left to fend for its own. Supplementing the Congolese stars playing in Europe is a strong base of domestic players from super-club AC Leopards. Left-back Dimitri Bissiki, the aforementioned Ngounga, winger-cum-forward Cezair Gandze add to the team chemistry on and off the pitch.
Strengths
Strike partnership - Bifouma’s direct style contrasts nicely with CFR Cluj strike partner Ferebory Dore, who couples him in attack. Doré is a 6’4 targetman who gracefully holds the ball up, but has acquired a deft touch to accompany his incredible height. Congo’s frontmen should be credited with adding a goalscoring dimension to the Red Devils, which allows for a counterattacking tactic if needed.
Weaknesses
Centre-halves - The centre-half partnership of Boris Ngounga Moubhio and Igor Nganga repeatedly struggled to shackle the likes of Ike Uche, and Tokelo Rantie. The pair may struggle if quick strikers have the space to run at the Congolese defence.
Key Player
Thievy Bifouma - The arrival of the striker lifted Congo and his impact was felt from the get-go. The Almeria forward scored two goals in Nigeria and skinned Godfrey Oboabona to assist Prince Oniangue in scoring a third. The win gave Congo a crucial headstart in Group A and dispatched early warning signals to Group A opposition that LeRoy’s men are for real.
felt from the get-go. The Almeria forward scored two goals in Nigeria and skinned Godfrey Oboabona to assist Prince Oniangue in scoring a third. The win gave Congo a crucial headstart in Group A and dispatched early warning signals to Group A opposition that Le Roy’s men are for real.
The Hipster Choice
Delvin N’Dinga - Devlin N’Dinga is Congo’s calm in the storm. He keeps a cool head, and dictates tempo, controlling play in midfield. N’Dinga’s positional discipline will be especially important in light of Oniangue’s tendency to burst forward, and the tender weakness that is Le Roy’s centre-half pair.
The Coach
Claude Le Roy – Le Roy has the trust of his players. Midfielder Prince Oniangue, recently spoke to BBC Sport, saying ‘Having a coach like Claude Le Roy helps a lot. He's going for his eight Nations Cup appearance and that brings a lot to the team.’ Burkina Faso and Gabon will be the bookies’ favourites, but with the well-decorated Le Roy at the helm, it would be foolish to write off Congo’s chances in January.
SFG Predicts
Group stage exit - The intrepid Red Devils will fight admirably, but should be overcome by the sheer quality of Gabon and Burkina Faso. If Congo are to advance, they will necessarily play stingy shut-down defence.
By Maher Mezahi (@MezahiMaher)