DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre tragically learned of his father’s death during his post-match press conference after Thursday’s (AEST) loss to England at the FIFA World Cup.
Desabre was fronting the media following DR Congo’s painful 2-1 defeat against England, who survived to reach the Round of 16 thanks to Harry Kane’s late double.
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The 49-year-old Frenchman had guided DR Congo to their first World Cup in 52 years.
🌹 Sebastian Desabre, entrenador de República Democrática del Congo, se entera en rueda de prensa de que falleció su padre#NuestroMejorMundial #NuestroMejorMundialAS pic.twitter.com/0KX3HdjyTI
— Diario AS (@diarioas) July 2, 2026
However, Desabre was left stunned in the aftermath of DR Congo’s exit as the Congolese press officer interrupted the press conference to publicly convey the delegation’s condolences.
“We would like to inform you that the coach has lost his father. Our condolences,” they said.
Desabre looked across to the press officer in complete shock before saying “thank you” and leaving the press conference.
It was a tragic end to a history-making World Cup campaign for Desabre’s DR Congo.
Under Desabre’s management, DR Congo recorded their first goals at the World Cup, maiden victory, and a historic place in the knockout stage in 2026.
On the match, he said: “We are disappointed because we believed in it. We played a good match. At the end of the match, we concede two situations and one of the best players in the world scores two goals against us. It’s a shame.
“You have to congratulate the players for what they showed. They gained a lot of experience playing against teams like that.”
