Democratic Republic of Congo coach Sebastien Desabre experienced a tragic turn during his post-match press conference after his team's 2-1 loss to England in the World Cup round of 32. After answering questions for seven minutes, a media manager announced in French: "We announce that the coach has lost his father. Our sincere condolences." Desabre, visibly shocked, said "thank you" before leaving the room.
Desabre's Shock and Team's Historic Run
It remains unclear if Desabre knew of his father's death before the announcement, though reports later indicated he had been informed pre-match. The news cast a shadow over what had been a history-making tournament for the Congolese, who led for over an hour before England's Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes to secure a 2-1 victory.
Brian Cipenga had given DR Congo the lead in the seventh minute, collecting a cross on the left of the box and shooting low past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at the near post. Despite the defeat, Desabre expressed pride in his team. "We're disappointed because we really believed we could do it," he said. "We played well. Towards the end of the match, we conceded two chances and one of the world's best players scored two goals against us. It's a shame."
A Proud Campaign Despite the Loss
Desabre, who took charge in 2022 after Congo failed to qualify for the previous World Cup, led the team to score their first goals at a World Cup, achieve their first win, and advance from the group stage. "When you represent the national team you have to leave a good image behind and this I believe we did," he said. "We are more proud than disappointed. We are disappointed to be leaving the World Cup of course but we scored five goals in the tournament and played much higher-ranked teams and managed good results."
Under Desabre, DR Congo secured their second World Cup appearance after 1974 by defeating Cameroon and Nigeria in the second round of CAF qualifying, then beating Jamaica in the inter-confederation play-offs. The team's performance in the tournament, including leading against England, marked a significant achievement for Congolese football.
