The first African World Cup winners are no longer pure fantasy and it is "only a matter of time," Democratic Republic of the Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said on Friday.
The Frenchman, whose side face Uzbekistan on Saturday looking to grab a spot in the last 32, has worked on the continent for 15 years.
"The structures are getting better, the coaches are getting better, the players are getting better," he said.
Morocco reached the semi-finals in 2022, are going well this time and co-host the next edition. The African champions face the Netherlands in the first knock-out round on Monday.
Looking ahead, Desabre hopes for more African qualifiers after a record 10 this time.
"I think there should be more teams. But that also applies to other continents," the 49-year-old said.
