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

<p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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).</p> <p>Banzuzi (Netherlands), Idumbo and Mbamba (Belgium), plus Pedro (France), have all been capped at the junior level and would need FIFA's permission to switch international eligibility.</p> <p><em>Source: MyJoyOnline</em></p>