Despite an impressive performance throughout the AFCON, the Leopards suffered a defeat in the semifinals against hosts Côte d'Ivoire on Wednesday evening at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe. However, Batubinsika believes the team can bounce back and finish the tournament on a high.
"We'll be disappointed for a while because we had the potential to go all the way," the Saint-Etienne player said at a press conference. "But we have to put that aside and focus on getting this medal. We need to stay united and motivated to finish third."
Batubinsika acknowledged the mixed emotions within the squad but stressed the importance of finishing on a high note.
“Our ambition is to go and get this medal. We have to stay mobilised to at least finish in third place," he said.
“We have to be proud of what we've done so far, we've had a great run, we would have liked to go all the way but that wasn't the case,” Batubinsika concluded.
The South Africa vs. DR Congo match is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.
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