Patrice Chitera BBC Sport, Kinshasa

French coach Patrice Neveu is set become the new DR Congo coach

Frenchman Patrice Neveu has been unveiled as the new coach of the DR Congo national team.

The former Guinea coach signed a two-year contract in Kinshasa to take charge of the Simbas.

Neveu opted to coach the DR Congo even though he was reported to have received several offers from some clubs in Africa.

"I received a number of offers including some from African national teams but the Congolese challenge attracts me," Neveu said.

"My target is help the Simbas qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa."

He replaces Belgian Henri Depireux, who resigned last year after DR Congo failed to qualify for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Neveu's first official game in charge of the squad will be in June when they take on African champions Egypt in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

The Simbas will also face Djibouti and Malawi in Group 12 of the qualifiers.

Neveu had been coach of Egyptian club Ismaili until last August and in the past has been in charge of Guinea and Niger.

He was in charge of Guinea when they reached the quarter-finals of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.