The death of DR Congo manager Sebastien Desabre's father was announced to the world during his post-match press conference, moments after his team's 2-1 round of 32 defeat to England at the World Cup in Atlanta.
Press Conference Announcement
Desabre had been answering questions from journalists when the DR Congo communications officer made the shocking announcement, offering condolences. Video footage of the moment spread rapidly online. It remains unclear if Desabre had already been informed, though he appeared visibly shaken. The media officer said: "Thank you. However, we are informing you that the coach has lost his father; our sincere condolences." Desabre paused, responded "Merci," and then left the press conference room at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, according to the Mirror.
World Cup Journey
The 49-year-old had led DR Congo to their first World Cup since 1974, when they competed as Zaire. They advanced from the group stage in third place after a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, also in Atlanta. DR Congo secured their spot in North America by overcoming Jamaica in the intercontinental play-offs. In the match against England, Brian Cipenga gave DR Congo a first-half lead, but Harry Kane scored twice to turn the game around, despite the efforts of goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
Desabre's Pride and Regret
Desabre expressed pride in his team's performance, stating: "We're disappointed because we believed we could do it. Perhaps we lacked a bit of experience at the end, but that's football. We learn, we continue to improve, and we move forward calmly. We fought like the Congolese people. We played good football today against one of the best teams in the world. That's what we'll remember." Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa hit the woodwork, missing a chance to put DR Congo ahead.
Player Reactions
Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe acknowledged the loss was laced with regret, saying: "Ultimately we're kicking ourselves more so because we felt we should've definitely held out the game. Probably should've finished it in the first half as well but it was unfortunate it was not meant to be for us today but we'll look on this and think how we can build for future tournaments."
