DR Congo kicking themselves for not finishing off England - Tuanzebe

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Axel Tuanzebe admits DR Congo are bitterly disappointed after suffering a heartbreaking World Cup exit following a 2-1 defeat against England. The defender revealed the squad are kicking themselves for not securing victory in the first half, while coach Sebastien Desabre praised his players for a brave performance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium despite the painful outcome.

Frustration mounts after missed opportunities

Tuanzebe expressed deep regret following the devastating 2-1 loss, acknowledging that DR Congo had golden opportunities to eliminate their opponents much earlier in the contest. The African side took a shock lead through Brian Cipenga after seven minutes. However, they failed to capitalise on their strong start against world-class opposition, with Harry Kane scoring twice in the last 15 minutes.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Tuanzebe said: "Ultimately we're kicking ourselves more so because we felt we should've definitely held out the game. Probably should've finished it in the first half as well but it was unfortunate it was not meant to be for us today but we'll look on this and think how we can build for future tournaments."

England v Congo DR: Round Of 32 - FIFA World Cup 2026

Learning from relentless defensive pressure

The relentless pressure from England eventually proved too much for DR Congo, who had initially defied the statistics by leading 1-0 at half-time despite the European side dominating 60 percent possession.

Tuanzebe highlighted the sheer difficulty of absorbing continuous attacks under referee Adham Makhadmeh, noting that sitting back against a force that registered 16 total shots and seven big chances was a dangerous strategy. "I think we'll definitely learn from this and continue attacking the game, especially early on because having to defend wave of attack after attack against this calibre of players they will prevail and they did so today," he added.

Desabre reflects on painful exit

Desabre shared similar sentiments on Wednesday, expressing his frustration over conceding late goals while maintaining immense pride in his squad. DR Congo had performed admirably just to reach the knockout stages, qualifying as a third-placed team from Group K with four points, behind Colombia and Portugal.

Desabre recognised the gap in tournament experience. Desabre said: "We are disappointed because we believed in it. We played a good match. At the end of the match, we concede two situations and one of the best players in the world scores two goals against us. It's a shame. You have to congratulate the players for what they showed. They gained a lot of experience playing against teams like that."

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What comes next for DR Congo?

Desabre remains optimistic about the future of his squad despite this crushing elimination. He stated that learning from these encounters is simply the history of football. The team must now regroup for future campaigns, while a victorious England prepare to face Mexico in the last 16 of the tournament following their dramatic comeback.