2026 World Cup, the Congo Coach, and the Announcement of His Father’s Death: What Really Happened

Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre had a dramatic Wednesday: the African team lost and was eliminated from the World Cup, stunned by a late brace from Harry Kane. During the post-match press conference, a spokesperson publicly announced the death of the Congo coach’s father. Visibly surprised and stunned, Desabre immediately left the press room after the announcement, and many media outlets speculated that he had just learned of the news at that moment.

However, as Congolese journalist Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala later reported, Desabre had been informed of his father’s death before the match and was simply disappointed that the tragic news had been disclosed at the post-match press conference immediately following the game.

The Minister of Sports of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Didier Budimbu Ntubuanga, expressed his condolences to the head coach, thanking him for the team’s performance at the World Cup: “I am deeply moved by the grief that has struck our coach Sébastien Desabre. Even in the midst of these difficulties, his dignity and professional conduct throughout the tournament have earned him the admiration of the entire nation. I extend my heartfelt regards and condolences to him and his loved ones.”

At the press conference, Desabre had expressed regret over England’s last-minute comeback: “We’re disappointed because we believed in ourselves. Maybe we lacked a bit of experience in the closing stages, but that’s soccer. We’ll learn from this, keep improving, and calmly continue on our path. We fought just like the Congolese people. Today we played good soccer against one of the best teams in the world. That’s what we’ll remember.”