D.R Congo coach Sebastien Desabre expressed his frustration over conceding late goals as his side were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup by England at the Round of 32 on Wednesday.
In a game played at Atlanta Stadium, the Three Lions came from behind to beat the Leopards with two late Harry Kane goals and reach the Round of 16 for the third successive edition.
Brian Cipenga opened the scoring for Senegal with a superb effort and it took England until the 75th minute to go level. Kane equalised from a header before blasting a brilliant winner in a dramatic turnaround.
“We’re disappointed because we really believed we could do it,” a disappointed Desabre told FIFA.com.
“We played well. Towards the end of the match, we conceded two chances and one of the world’s best players scored two goals against us. It’s a shame.”
Desabre added: “We must congratulate the players on their performance. They’ve gained a lot of experience from playing against teams like this.
“That’s how football in the Congo DR is built: we may have lacked a little experience, but that’s the nature of the game. We’re learning, and we’re continuing to improve. We’ll carry on, calmly.”
D.R Congo midfielder Axel Tuanzebe echoed Desabre’s sentiments by admitting they should have killed off the game in the first half when they created many scoring opportunities.
