Courtesy of INDEPENDENT: Democratic Republic of Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre bravely stood on the touchline during his team’s World Cup Round of 32 clash against England, having received the devastating news of his father’s death just hours before kickoff.

Despite carrying the weight of the profound personal tragedy, Desabre guided the Leopards through an agonizingly close encounter, nearly orchestrating one of the biggest upset victories of the tournament.

The heartbreaking news was made public to a stunned press room at the conclusion of Desabre’s post-match press conference.

The team’s media officer, Jerry Kalemo, broke the silence, stating, “We announce that the coach has lost his father. Our sincere condolences”.

Desabre, who turns 50 next month, reacted with a quizzical expression before offering a quiet “thank you”.

The brief, understated reaction initially sparked erroneous reports across social media suggesting he was learning of the bereavement in real-time from the press bench.

Misreporting

However, a team official later clarified to the press that Desabre had been fully informed of the passing before walking out at the stadium in Atlanta.

The official further disclosed that the coach’s father had been battling illness for some time.

On the pitch, Desabre’s grieving presence almost inspired a historic miracle.

The Congolese national team caught the Three Lions off guard, roaring into an early lead courtesy of a brilliant strike by Brian Cipenga.

DR Congo fought fiercely to maintain their 1-0 advantage for over an hour, frustrating the star-studded English side.

However, England’s captain Harry Kane broke Congolese hearts by striking twice in the latter stages of the match, ultimately wrestling back a 2-1 victory for the European giants.

While the defeat brings a painful end to their tournament run, DR Congo heads home with their heads held high after registering their best-ever performance at a World Cup.

Under Desabre’s transformational leadership, the Leopards made history by reaching the knockout stages of the global showpiece for the very first time.