Jules Ahoka: The meteoric rise of Sunderland’s unlikely Congolese hero against Chelsea

Twenty-year-old Jules Ahoka came on in the fourth minute after Granit Xhaka was injured and helped Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0 in the Premier League, earning man-of-the-match honours. Signed from Royal Antwerp for 10 million euros in late August, the Congolese midfielder had joined the Belgian club a year earlier from second-division side AC Normands Sport for an estimated 225,000 euros. His performances for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including in the U20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the Maurice Revello Tournament, drew interest from several clubs, including Chelsea. An U23 international with six caps and two goals, he was left out of the squad for the 2027 senior Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers but could soon earn his first senior call-up.