DR Congo: Winners and losers in Sébastien Desabre’s squad

Sébastien Desabre named a 26-player squad for DR Congo’s two matches against Sierra Leone on November 12 and 17 in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Cédric Bakambu returns after the 2026 World Cup, while Kevin Pedro, Jordy Makengo, Ezechiel Banzuzi, Willy Kambwala and Noah Mbamba have been called up. Samuel Essende, the Swiss league’s leading scorer with 14 goals in 12 matches, and Théo Bongonda are absent from the squad. Stephy Mavididi is still waiting for his FIFA eligibility file to be finalized.