Democratic Republic of Congo coach Sebastien Desabre said his team left a positive image of their football on the world stage after a narrow loss to England at the World Cup on Wednesday.
The underdogs led for over an hour before Harry Kane's late double secured a comeback win for the Three Lions. Despite the defeat, Desabre expressed immense pride in his squad's performance.
"When you represent the national team you have to leave a good image behind and this I believe we did," Desabre stated. "We are more proud than disappointed."
Desabre employed a bold, attacking formation that surprised England. He explained the strategy was designed to create width and block critical build-up play to midfielder Elliott Anderson.
"We managed to corner England but they reacted. It took the best striker in the world to save them," he noted.
The Congolese exit marks a symbolic victory for a nation competing in only its second World Cup. Their tournament fifty-two years ago as Zaire saw them concede 13 goals without reply. This year, they finished as the best third-placed team, drawing with Portugal and beating Uzbekistan before pushing a favorite to the final minutes.