Minutes after Congo DR’s shocking 2026 FIFA World Cup exit against England, coach Sébastien Desabre suffered an even more devastating personal tragedy when he was informed of his father’s death during his post-match press conference.What started as a routine post-match media interaction turned into an emotional scene after the 32-year-old Congo RD’s 2-1 defeat of England at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.Desabre had answered questions about his team’s spirited performance before the team’s communications officer interrupted proceedings with a solemn announcement.In French, the media officer said: “Thank you, but we announce that the coach has lost his father. Sincere condolences.”The room fell silent.Video footage of the moment, which has since gone viral on social media, shows a visibly stunned Desabre looking in disbelief before calmly replying “Merci” (“Thank you”), rising from his seat and leaving the press conference as it was immediately brought to an end.It is not clear if the 49-year-old had already been informed of his father’s death before entering the media room, but his reaction suggested that the announcement came as a shock.WATCH:
The historic World Cup campaign ends in heartbreak
The tragic moment came just minutes after DR Congo saw its remarkable FIFA World Cup journey comes to an end.Playing in their first World Cup qualifier, the African side got off to a dream start when Brian Cipenga scored his first international goal after just seven minutes to stun England.However, captain Harry Kane produced another trademark save, scoring twice in the closing stages to inspire England’s dramatic 2-1 comeback win and book a last-16 clash with co-hosts Mexico.Despite the defeat, Desabre praised his players for their fighting spirit and the progress they had made during a historic tournament.“We are 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 best players in the world scored two goals against us. It’s a shame,” said Desabre before the tragic announcement.“We have to congratulate the players for their performance. They gained a lot of experience from playing against teams like this. This is how football in DR Congo is built: we may have lacked a little experience, but that is the nature of the game. We learn, and we continue to improve. We will continue, quietly,” he added.Desabre had led Congo DR to their first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1974, when the nation – then known as Zaire – became the first sub-Saharan African country to qualify for the tournament. The Leopards also reached the knockout stage for the first time, making the campaign one of the greatest achievements in the country’s football history.