Since moving to DR Congo on September 27th, 2024, when he took up the coaching role at Lupopo, the Belgian tactician, who has vast experience in handling teams in Africa, has turned the fortunes for the club around, and they are now fighting for top honours with TP Mazembe.
Currently in the league, which is divided into two zones, Group A and B, Lupopo, are sitting second in Group A with 31 points from 13 matches and they are trailing Mazembe, who are on top with 35 points, from 14 matches.
In fact, the two sides faced off in a derby on Sunday, February 23rd, at the Stade TP Mazembe with the fixture ending in a 0-0 draw. Lupopo have won 10 matches, drawn one and lost two while Mazembe have managed 11 wins, two draws and suffered one defeat.
DR Congo league very competitive with good players
According to Eymael, who has handled many teams in Africa before including AFC Leopards (Kenya), Stade Tunisien (Tunisia), Free Stars, Black Leopards, Polokwane City in South Africa, the only problem currently hindering the Congolese league from making huge strides in Africa in a lack of proper infrastructure, ranging from transport to good pitches.
“It is a bit of controversy, but the league here is very, very competitive, with very, very good players, that is why you can see that there are so many Congolese players that are playing around the world, because the league here is very competitive, we have many Congolese players in Europe, in Asia, and a bit everywhere” Eymael told Flashscore in an exclusive interview.
“Unfortunately, I am talking on a sporting matter. Unfortunately, the league is not competitive in matter of infrastructure, yes, if you are playing in Kinshasa, and there are good stadiums, good changing rooms, if you are playing in Lubumbashi, the same thing, good stadium, good changing room.”
Eymael, who guided Free State Stars to their first cup final in 24 years after they beat Kaizer Chiefs 2–0 in the Nedbank Cup semi-final on April 21st, 2018, continued: “But when you are playing sometimes in some cities (he takes a pose), it is really very difficult, already difficult to arrive in the city, airport or flights are not many in numbers.
“The airports are very, very old, and also the infrastructure when you go into the stadiums, you play in very bad artificial pitches, very old carpet, very bad changing rooms, and in insecure stadiums, reason why so many times you have pitches that are invaded by the fans, who are angry when their teams are losing matches.”
Asked to compare DR Congo league with that of Tanzania and South Africa, Eymael, who won the South African Nedbank Cup with Free State Stars following a 1-0 against Maritzburg United in the final said: “But if we compare with Tanzania and South Africa, South Africa league at least, it is the most well-organized because they not only have the league, they also have many competitions.
“While in Tanzania, they have two tough competitions and I think these two countries have improved a lot in a lot of things. I think Tanzania and South Africa are thinking aloud on introducing for example the VAR but also if I can compare Tanzania during my time there and Tanzania now, they have improved a lot in terms of infrastructure.
“They have improved a lot in stadiums, they have improved a lot on pitches, the standard of their pitches is quite impressive but in South Africa they have small artificial pitches, they only have grass pitches but most of the pitches are very good.”
Some of the noticeable Congolese players in Europe include Chancel Mbemba, who captains their national team and plays as a full-back for Ligue 1 club Marseille, Yoane Wissa, who plays for Brentford in the Premier League, Arthur Masuaku, who features for Süper Lig club Besiktas, Cedric Bakambu, who plays for LaLiga club Real Betis, and Edo Kayembe of Watford.
Eymael terms recent ban in Congo as ‘big joke’
On December 24th, 2024, Eymael was handed a six-month ban by the Congolese league organisers following his conduct during a Ligue 1 fixture against Blessing FC in October which ended in a 2-1 win in favour of Lupopo.
While issuing the ruling, Linafoot said in a statement that Eymael had made “insulting” remarks to the Blessing goalkeeper, the match officials, and the members of the Blessing committee.
Asked about the ban, Eymael, who started his coaching career in Congo with Aigles du Congo, replied: “My ban? My ban was a joke, a big joke, I got a red card that I didn’t deserve, and how did it happen, it was around the 30th of October, it was 1-1 against Blessing FC and we scored in the 87th minute for a 2-1 result, we were very happy, were on our zone, our own technical zone, and then we went back to our bench.”
“I was sitting with someone on the bench and during that time, most of the players from the other team were discussing the validity of our goal, they were pushing the referee, they were pushing the fourth referee, attacking everybody including the match commissioner.
“What happened, the referee gave one red to the other team, two yellow cards and on the original report that he wrote, and that he signed, he said that on the recommendation of the match commissioner, they wanted to restart the game but the match referee came to me and gave me a red card, and he knew I was sitting on the bench, but he gave me a red card saying I am not here to do the work.
"I said I didn’t understand why, it was remaining three minutes, so I walked to the stands, then I spent two games in the stands like every red card requires and we won also this two games.”
The Belgian did not stop there: "There are so many things you can now do without sitting on the bench, you can coach through ear phones, walkie talkie, we have a lot of things and that was not a problem.
“Then on the 26th of November, the league organizers produced something, they said that I was suspended for six months, for insulting the goalkeeper coach and the technical bench of the opponent and I was pronouncing racist words.”
Can Eymael promise trophies to Lupopo fans?
Having enjoyed a good start with Lupopo, Eymael was asked whether he could help win a trophy for the side.
“Now if I can promise a trophy to my fans, I told you that for me we are now the most popular team in DR Congo, most popular because if I compare, only TP Mazembe can be compared with us, in the matter of fans,” offered Eymael, who has also coached Libyan side Ittihad Misutrata and Tala el Geish in the Egyptian Premier League.
“But if you go into a normal game of Mazembe there are not a lot of people but if you go into a normal game for our team, the stadium is always full or almost approaching to be completely full.
“We are trying to do all our best to be in the CAF Champions League this season, but like I said just before, I am afraid that this year the league will not be finished because it will be very difficult because, at the end of June, we have 2024 CHAN coming up, which is a competition for local-based players.
“After doing the CHAN, or directly after the CHAN, it will be the preliminary round for the Champions League and Confederation Cup, so the players will have no rest, so how will the health of the players be? Will the players not be too tired, will the players not come with injuries? That is the big question.”
He concluded: “Let us see what will happen, and we will try to do our best until the end, hoping that finally we will be able to play the playoffs and hope that the playoffs will go until the end. Because like I said, rivalry in the league is always very good, it is like Barcelona versus Real Madrid, like Liverpool versus Manchester City, Manchester United versus Chelsea, or these teams, you know, Gor Mahia versus AFC Leopards, Simba SC versus Young Africans (Yanga SC), Al Ahly versus Zamalek. But it has to be a real competition on the pitch, but here it is more than that.
“If I can say, here, it’s a small war between two clubs, and that is a pity because you know what is happening DR Congo and I think that the situation, the political situation and the invasion of the rebels of Rwanda is very sad for the Congolese people, and I think so many people have passed away and me, I am against all wars, this war which has been there for 30 years, I am against it. I am against war in Ukraine, I am against war in Russia, and it is really a pity, that such kind of things can still happen in the world.”
Lupopo will return to Linafoot action with an away game against JS Groupe Bazano at Stade Frederic Kibassa Maliba on Wednesday, February 26th.
