Kabongo Believes in Miracles to Save Viktoria Plzeň's Europa League

Kabongo Defends European League Priority Amid Tough Plzeň Schedule

Viktoria Plzeň forward Kayamba Kabongo insists that the UEFA Europa League remains the club’s top priority despite a daunting upcoming fixture list and persistent defensive struggles, sport.cz reported. Speaking in a recent interview, the attacker maintained that his squad retains belief in a miraculous turnaround on the continental stage, even as tougher opponents loom.

Tough Fixtures Await Following Levski Struggles

Plzeň faces a brutal stretch of European matches following their recent encounters. While an upcoming trip to Norway to face Lilleström offers a brief reprieve on paper, the schedule rapidly intensifies with fixtures against Benfica, Bournemouth, Real Sociedad, and Polish side Jagiellonia, according to sport.cz. When asked if reaching the knockout rounds remains realistic under such pressure, Kabongo offered a blunt assessment. “I believe in miracles,” Kabongo told sport.cz. “I believe we are able to turn this around and beat all the opponents we have now. And we all have to believe it. We have no other choice.”

Psychological Hurdles and Defensive Errors Undermine Plzeň

Plzeň’s European ambitions have been repeatedly hindered by recurring defensive lapses and a lack of clinical finishing in the final third. Kabongo admitted that psychological weight hangs over the players every time they step onto the pitch. “Every player who goes out onto the pitch has it somewhere in their subconscious,” Kabongo said, as reported by sport.cz. “We have to catch ourselves with a match where nothing like that happens. Each of us will realize that this period is behind us. Our self-confidence will grow.” When questioned about the persistent mistakes, Kabongo offered a wry smile and pointed to lingering bad luck before accepting personal responsibility for missed chances, noting that the team needed to score before conceding and that he himself should have converted earlier to take the lead.

Shifting Roles and Tactical Adjustments on the Pitch

Having spent much of his career operating away from the central striker position, Kabongo is currently adapting to the number nine role under the team’s tactical setup. He acknowledged that while those who know him well understand his preference for playing the ball along the ground, he is growing accustomed to battling towering opposition central defenders. Having not played the central role under former coach Martin Hyský, Kabongo told sport.cz that he believes his performances in the position will continue to improve as he gains experience through physical duels.