Just minutes after the Democratic Republic of Congo’s heartbreaking loss to England at the 2026 World Cup, head coach Sebastien de Sabre experienced an even more devastating personal tragedy when he learned of the death of his father at a post-match press conference.What was supposed to be a routine post-match media interaction turned into an emotional scene after DR Congo lost 2-1 to England in the last 32 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.Desabre had been fielding questions about his team’s fiery performance before the team’s communications officer interrupted proceedings with a solemn statement.The media official said in French: “Thank you, but we announce that the coach has lost his father. Sincere condolences. “There was silence in the room.Video footage of the moment went viral on social media, showing a visibly stunned Desabre looking across in disbelief before quietly replying “Merci” (“thank you”), rising from his seat and leaving the press conference, which ended immediately.It’s unclear whether the 49-year-old had been informed of his father’s death before entering the media room, but his reaction suggested the news was shocking.watch:
Historic World Cup journey ends in heartbreaking way
Just minutes after the DRC witnessed their remarkable achievement, the tragic moment occurred. fifa world cup The journey is over.The African side got off to a fantastic start in their first World Cup knockout game, with Brian Cipenga scoring his first international goal to beat England after just seven minutes.However, captain Harry Kane produced another trademark rescue performance, scoring twice in the closing stages to help England secure a dramatic 2-1 victory and set up a last-16 clash with co-host Mexico.Despite the defeat, Desabre praised his players’ fighting spirit and their progress in the historic game.“We are disappointed because we really believed we could do it. We played well. Towards the end of the game we missed two chances and one of the best players in the world scored two goals against us. It’s a shame,” De Sabre said before the tragedy was announced.“We have to congratulate the players for their performance. They have gained a lot of experience from playing against teams like this. That’s how football in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is built: we may lack a little experience, but that’s the nature of the game. We are learning and we are constantly improving. We will continue calmly,” he added.Desabre guided the Democratic Republic of Congo to its first FIFA World Cup since 1974, when the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as Zaire) became the first sub-Saharan African country to qualify for the World Cup. The Leopards also reached the knockout stages for the first time, making the season one of the greatest achievements in the country’s football history.
