DR Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre unveiled a 26-man squad in Kinshasa on Friday 6 November for the double-header against Sierra Leone, with Cédric Bakambu and Timothy Fayulu returning.
Twenty-six names, and two faces back. Sébastien Desabre, DR Congo’s head coach, made public on Friday 6 November, at the Fecofa headquarters in Kinshasa, his squad for the third and fourth matchdays of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, to be held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. According to Forum des As, striker Cédric Bakambu and goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu are back.
Bakambu and Fayulu, the returning pair
In attack, the return of Cédric Bakambu gives the Leopards’ forward line an extra option. The report specifies neither his current club nor the length of his absence.
In goal, Desabre has selected three goalkeepers: Matthieu Epolo, Dimitry Bertaud and Timothy Fayulu. The latter is therefore back in the squad, like the striker.
Three new profiles
The novelty also comes from the new arrivals. Noah Mbamba, Kevin Pedro and Ézéchiel Banzuzi are on the list, presented by Forum des As as new profiles. The report details neither their respective clubs nor their ages. Kevin Pedro is identified as a defender, Ézéchiel Banzuzi as a midfielder, while Noah Mbamba is simply described as a player.
The defence includes Gédéon Kalulu, Kevin Pedro, Joris Kayembe, Steve Kapuadi, Arthur Masuaku, Jordy Makengo, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe and Willy Kambwala, nine defenders in all.
A Group E already well placed
According to NewZimbabwe.com, DR Congo have six points and top Group E of the qualifiers, ahead of Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, each on three points, and Sierra Leone, who have none.
The two upcoming matches pit the Leopards against Sierra Leone, bottom of the group with zero points: the first match is played in DR Congo, the second in Sierra Leone. The report does not provide the exact dates of these matches.