Texas [US], June 17 (ANI): DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre said that his team has to handle the pressure of its FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Portugal, stressing that they will play with courage and controlled risk in the high-profile clash.

Speaking ahead of the match, Desabre said the biggest challenge for his players would be managing the pressure of the opening fixture, but insisted there would be no fear when they take the field.

'What we have to do is to deal with the pressure, the pressure of the first game,' he said, as quoted by Reuters.

He added that DR Congo would not hesitate to take calculated risks in their approach while maintaining tactical discipline.

'I want my team to play, so we'll take risks. Those risks will be measured. There's no fear ahead of those big events,' Desabre said.

The DR Congo coach further said his side would rely on their strengths and stick to their identity against one of the tournament favourites.

'We also have a great strength that we'll be using on the pitch, and we're going to get started with our own specific style of play, and we are, of course, highly motivated. We are excited to play against such a big team,' he added.

Desabre also highlighted the expectations from fans back home, noting the scale of support from the nation.

'There are different options. We will start with one option... and based on the balance of power, we'll see. We have 100 million Congolese people who will be watching us. Of course, we want to perform well. We want to show courage. And we'll do our best on the pitch,' he said.

DR Congo will begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, in their opening Group stage match on Wednesday (as per Indian Standard Time).

Portugal has yet to win the FIFA World Cup, with their best result coming in 1966 when they finished third. However, they enter the tournament with a strong squad, led by players such as Bruno Fernandes, who is coming off an excellent season with Manchester United. (ANI)