ATLANTA. Congo-Kinshasa pushed England into the last.
After the final whistle came the news that Sébastien Desabre had suffered a personal tragedy.
– We have to tell you that the national team captain has lost his father, says the team’s press manager.
It is unclear exactly when national team captain Sébastien Desabre received the tragic news.
About an hour later The 1–2 loss against England in the round of 16 he sat on the podium for just over seven minutes and answered the media’s questions.
When the press conference was over, the press manager suddenly announced in French that the 49-year-old Desabre had lost his father.
– Our deepest condolences, he added.
The union captain answered briefly:
– Thank you.
Best WC tournament
He then got up and left the room.
Congo-Kinshasa has achieved its best World Cup result ever. Sébastien Desabre, who has led the national team since 2022, paid tribute to his players after the exit.
– We are more proud than disappointed, says Desabre.
– Of course we are disappointed to go home. But we scored five goals, faced significantly higher-ranked opponents and got several good results.
