Democratic Republic of Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre received the devastating news of his father’s death just hours before his team’s World Cup Round of 32 clash against England. Despite the personal tragedy, Desabre led his side to an agonisingly close defeat, nearly securing an upset victory.The emotional revelation was made public at the conclusion of his post-match press conference, when the team’s media officer, Jerry Kalemo, said: "We announce that the coach has lost his father. Our sincere condolences." Desabre, who will turn 50 next month, responded with a quizzical expression before simply saying "thank you”, a reaction that initially led to erroneous reports suggesting it was his first time hearing the news.However, an official later clarified to Reuters that Desabre had been informed prior to the match in Atlanta. Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon celebrate England’s win (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)The Congolese team had taken an early lead through Brian Cipenga and maintained it for over an hour before Harry Kane scored twice, ultimately securing a 2-1 victory for England. The official added that Desabre’s father had been unwell for some time, though no further details were provided.DR Congo are now heading home after their best ever performance at a World Cup, having reached the knockout stages for the first time in their history.Congo earned a 1-1 draw against highly-fancied Portugal in their opening group game before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat by Colombia.Heading into their final group fixture against Uzbekistan, DR Congo knew they needed a victory to book their spot in the knockout rounds.They fell behind early on but produced a spirited comeback to claim an impressive 3-1 victory. Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa scored twice, either side of Fiston Mayele also finding the net.This meant that they went through to the last-32 to face England, and they pushed Thomas Tuchel’s men all the way before ultimately coming up short.England are now through to the Round of 16 where they will play co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday night.Mexico have won all four of their matches so far without conceding, while England are also unbeaten at this year’s World Cup.