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DR Congo Coach Sees World Cup Loss to England as Valuable Learning Experience

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The Democratic Republic of Congo's journey in the FIFA World Cup 2026 ended in the Round of 32 after a 1-2 loss to England.
  • Coach Sebastien Desabre believes his young team gained valuable experience despite the disappointment of conceding late goals.
  • Harry Kane's two late goals secured England's victory, overturning DR Congo's earlier lead.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign concluded in the Round of 32 following a narrow 1-2 defeat to England. Despite the loss, head coach Sebastien Desabre emphasized the valuable experience gained by his developing squad, viewing the tournament as a crucial step in their future growth.

We are disappointed because we truly believed we could do it. We played well. Towards the end of the match, we conceded from two chances, and one of the best players in the world scored two goals against us. It's very unfortunate.

— Sebastien DesabreExpressing disappointment over the late goals conceded against England.

Desabre revealed that his players were genuinely confident of causing an upset against one of the tournament favorites. Their belief was palpable as they held a lead until the latter stages of the match, thanks to an early goal from Brian Cipenga. However, two late strikes from England's Harry Kane in the 75th and 86th minutes dramatically shifted the momentum, ultimately ending DR Congo's World Cup aspirations.

We have to congratulate the players for their performance. They have gained a lot of experience from playing against a team like this.

— Sebastien DesabrePraising his team's effort and the experience gained.

"We are disappointed because we truly believed we could do it. We played well," Desabre stated, as quoted by FIFA's official website. "Towards the end of the match, we conceded from two chances, and one of the best players in the world scored two goals against us. It's very unfortunate." He urged his players to remain proud of their performance, highlighting the significance of competing against a team of England's caliber.

That's how football is in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We might be a bit less experienced, but that's the nature of this game.

— Sebastien DesabreAcknowledging the developmental stage of Congolese football.

The coach acknowledged that football in DR Congo is still in a developmental phase, with a potential lack of experience being a key factor. "That's how football is in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We might be a bit less experienced, but that's the nature of this game." Nevertheless, Desabre remains optimistic about the team's progress, asserting that the lessons learned at the World Cup will fuel their continued improvement on the international stage. "We are learning, and we are continuously improving. We will keep moving forward calmly."

We are learning, and we are continuously improving. We will keep moving forward calmly.

— Sebastien DesabreExpressing optimism about the team's future development.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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