DR Congo Back at the World Cup After 52 Years: Mbemba Captains, Wissa Leads the Line
Sébastien Desabre has named DR Congo's 26-man squad for their first World Cup since the 1974 tournament as Zaire. Captain Chancel Mbemba (Lille) anchors a back line that includes West Ham's Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Newcastle's Yoane Wissa and veteran Cédric Bakambu lead the attack. Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan.
D R Congo are back at the World Cup for the first time in 52 years. The Leopards' qualification was sealed in dramatic fashion: defender Axel Tuanzebe nodded in the 100th-minute winner against Jamaica in Guadalajara, and as the ball crossed the line thousands of fans poured into the rain-soaked streets of Kinshasa. It made DR Congo the last side to complete the 48-team bracket. Their only previous appearance was at West Germany 1974, when the country competed as Zaire.
Mbemba leads a Premier League-heavy back line
Captain Chancel Mbemba, now at Lille, leads a nine-man defence that also features West Ham right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Burnley centre-back and qualifying hero Axel Tuanzebe, Hibernian's Rocky Bushiri, Genk's Joris Kayembe and Lens left-back Arthur Masuaku. In goal Desabre chose Timothy Fayulu (FC Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre) and Mike Epolo (Standard Liège).
Wissa, Bakambu and Sadiki
Newcastle winger Yoane Wissa anchors the attack on the back of five strong Premier League seasons. Cédric Bakambu provides the big-game experience, and Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki has been one of the breakout names of the cycle, with his box-to-box energy and ball-carrying. "This qualification must be the beginning of getting our great country at every World Cup going forward," Sadiki told Olympics.com. The midfield also includes Watford's Edo Kayembe, two Lille players in Nathan Mukau and Mbemba, and the veteran Gaël Kakuta.
Group K fixtures
DR Congo open against Portugal on June 17 in Houston, then face Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, where Tuanzebe scored the winner that put them here, and close the group against Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta. The path back to the knockout rounds is the unspoken target for a federation whose only prior World Cup match memory is a 9-0 loss to Yugoslavia in 1974, the heaviest defeat in tournament history at the time.