Atlanta, July 2 (IANS) Just hours after the painful FIFA World Cup 2026 defeat to England, head coach of Congo DR Sebastien Desabre has suffered an even greater personal loss as he learnt about the death of his father during the press conference.

Congo had never played a World Cup knockout game before, yet they made a dream start after seven minutes with Cipenga’s first-ever international goal. But Harry Kane equalised, with the England skipper then blasting a brilliant winner in a dramatic turnaround to set a Round of 16 meeting with co-hosts Mexico.

After the heartbreaking loss, when Desabre was addressing the media, the family bereavement was confirmed when a media officer said in French, “Thank you, but we are announcing that the coach has lost his father. Sincere condolences.” The press conference was then terminated.

Desabre, who had initially been answering questions about the match, looked across in complete disbelief before quietly replying, “Thank you” and immediately standing up and walking out of the press conference.

Congo had won their first World Cup match 52 years after their first and only appearance at the global showpiece and reached the knockout stages for the first time ever after beating Uzbekistan.

Competing at the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when the nation, then known as Zaire, Congo, had become the first sub-Saharan African country ever to qualify for the tournament, it followed Colombia and Portugal, who played out a goalless draw in Miami, into the knockout phase.

After their round of 32 exit, Desabre said, “We’re disappointed because we really believed we could do it. 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. We must congratulate the players on their performance. They’ve gained a lot of experience from playing against teams like this.

“That’s how football in the Congo DR is built: we may have lacked a little experience, but that’s the nature of the game. We’re learning, and we’re continuing to improve. We’ll carry on, calmly.”

–IANS

bc/