Romelu Lukaku Reacts to DR Congo’s Painful AFCON 2023 Exit Against Ivory Coast

• Dr Congo were knocked out of AFCON 2023 by Ivory Coast in the semi-finals
• The defeat is the Leopards' first since the tournament started a month earlier
• Romelu Lukaku has sent a message to the DR Congo players after their exit

The Democratic Republic of Congo's AFCON journey is over. They were beaten 1-0 by Ivory Coast in the semi-final on Wednesday, February 7.

AS Roma and Belgium striker, Romelu Lukaku, has sent his message of sympathy to the Leopards as they prepare to play South Africa in the third-place playoff.

DR Congo had drawn their first four games at the tournament before an impressive 3-1 win over Guinea in the quarter-final. They drew against Zambia, Morocco, and Tanzania.

Against the host nation, the two-time champions created good chances in the first half and even scored before the attempt was chalked off by the referee, per the BBC.

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Sebastien Haller then scored for the Elephants in the 65th minute, and DR Congo were not able to pull off a comeback like they did against Guinea.

Before kick-off, DR Congo players covered their mouths and pointed at their heads, calling for peace in the eastern part of the country.

Overall, it was a great tournament for the Leopards, who were not given much chance of going deep at AFCON 2023.

Lukaku congratulates Dr Congo

Lukaku reposted a picture of DR Congo players making the gesture on his Instagram story, including a 'Free DRC' hashtag.

"Proud of you guys. You've made an entire people very proud of you," he wrote on Instagram.

Romelu's father, Roger Lukaku, was born in DR Congo's capital of Kinshasa and briefly played for the national team between 1993 and 1996, per FIFA.

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Why DR Congo players covered their mouths

Sports Brief earlier reported on why DR Congo players covered their mouths before their semi-final clash against Ivory Coast.

The Leopards' coach, Sebastien Desabre, said the team was highlighting the plight of the people in his country with the gesture.

"The national team is a symbol of national pride, and we wanted to use this opportunity tonight to highlight all the atrocities happening in Eastern DR Congo."