DR Congo's World Cup exploits encourage more players to join their cause

Sept 12 : 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.

DR Congo will later this month play their first matches since the World Cup, where they were 15 minutes away from an upset win over England in Atlanta, when they begin the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Six new players from European clubs have since been added to the squad to face Equatorial Guinea in Kinshasa on September 24 and Zimbabwe away in Harare four days later.

Former Manchester United centre back Willy Kambwala, now at Italian club Como, was named along with Ezechiel Banzuzi (Leipzig), Stanis Idumbo (AS Monaco), Jordy Makengo (Freiburg), Noah Mbamba (Lorient) and Kevin Pedro (Saint-Etienne).

Banzuzi (Netherlands), Idumbo and Mbamba (Belgium) plus Pedro (France) have all been capped at junior level and would need FIFA's permission to switch international eligibility.

None of the four have yet been approved, according to FIFA’s Change of Association Platform. 

DR Congo have in the past named players in the squad without securing their agreement, or a formal switch of allegiances.

However, Desabre has been on a charm offensive across Europe in recent months, seeking to persuade players of Congolese heritage to commit to an international future with the Leopards.

DR Congo went past the group phase at the World Cup for the first time at this year's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Banzuzi used social media this week to announce his switch to the DR Congo team after playing at under-21 level for the Netherlands, where he was born. He posed for