World Cup: DR Congo coach Sébastien Desabre stunned after learning of father's death during press conference

Congo DR coach Sébastien Desabre (Video grab) Just minutes after DR Congo’s heartbreaking 2026 FIFA World Cup performance against England, head coach Sébastien Desabre suffered an even more devastating personal tragedy when he was informed of his father’s death at a post-match press conference.What started as a routine post-match media interaction turned into an emotional scene after DR Congo’s 2-1 Round of 32 defeat by England at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.Desabre answered questions about his side’s spirited performance before the team’s communications officer interrupted proceedings with a ceremonial announcement.The media officer said in French: “Thank you, but we are announcing that the coach has lost his father. My condolences.”The room fell silent.Video footage of the moment, which has since gone viral on social media, showed a visibly stunned Desabre looking down in disbelief before quietly replying, “Merci” (“Thank you”), getting up from his seat and leaving the press conference as it was called off immediately.It remains unclear whether the 49-year-old had already been informed of his father’s death before entering the media room, but his reaction suggested the announcement came as a shock.WATCH:

Historic World Cup campaign ends in heartbreak

The tragic moment came just minutes after DR Congo saw their remarkable FIFA World Cup journey come to an end.The African side got off to a dream start in their first ever World Cup knockout match when Brian Cipenga scored his first international goal after just seven minutes to stun England.However, captain Harry Kane produced another signature save as he scored twice in the closing stages to inspire England to a dramatic 2-1 comeback win and book a round of 16 clash with co-hosts Mexico.Despite the defeat, Desabre praised his players for the fight and progress they made during the historic tournament.“We are disappointed because we really believed we could do it. We played well. Towards the end of the game we had two chances and one of the best players in the world gave us two goals. It’s a shame,” Desabre said before the tragic announcement.“We have to congratulate the players for their performance. They gained a lot of experience playing against teams like this. That’s how football in DR Congo is built: maybe we lacked a little experience, but that’s the nature of the game. We’re learning and we’re still improving. We’re going to keep calm,” he added.Desabre led DR Congo 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. Leopards also reached the knockout stages for the first time, making the campaign one of the most successful in the country’s football history.

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