DR Congo’s World Cup exploits encourage more players to join their cause
Democratic Republic of Congo's success at this year’s World Cup has seen a bevy of European-born players added to their squad as coach Sebastien Desabre seeks to expand the player pool and build on their last-32 place at the finals in North America.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's recent performance in the World Cup has prompted European players to consider joining their national team. Coach Sebastien Desabre aims to expand the player pool and capitalize on the team's last-32 place at the North American finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. As the team prepares for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, six new players from European clubs have already been added to the squad.
These players include Willy Kambwala, Ezechiel Banzuzi, Stanis Idumbo, Jordy Makengo, Noah Mbamba, and Kevin Pedro. However, FIFA's Change of Association Platform indicates that none of these four players have received formal approval to switch international eligibility. Desabre has been actively reaching out to players of Congolese heritage in Europe to persuade them to commit to the national team.
Banzuzi recently announced his switch to the DR Congo team after representing the Netherlands at the under-21 level. The coach plans to use friendlies against Uganda in October to continue enticing more players to join the squad, with an eye on the 2027 Cup of Nations finals in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
