Trained at La Masía and a Spanish youth international, Jordi Mboula has been called up for the first time by Congo, his father’s country, and was greeted by a jubilant crowd of supporters in Brazzaville ahead of the Comoros tie.
For his first call-up, Jordi Mboula, 27, born in Granollers in Spain, is in coach Claude Le Roy’s final 25-man squad for the double header against the Comoros, reports pepeta.co.ke. The Kifisia attacker, based in Greece, could wear the shirt of his father’s country for the first time.
His arrival at Brazzaville airport sparked massive jubilation among Congolese supporters, according to El Diario Montañés, which describes a scene of madness around the player. The Spanish site 101tv.es also reports the welcome given to the attacker.
A journey from La Masía to Greece
Having come through the La Masía academy at FC Barcelona, then Monaco, Huesca, Mallorca, Racing and Cultural Leonesa, Mboula now plays for Kifisia. That club-to-club journey comes before his first call-up for Congo.
Trained in Spain, he was a Spanish international at under-16, under-17 and under-19 level, recalls 101tv.es. He now chooses Congo, where his first cap could come as early as 13 November at the Stade Malouzini against the Comoros.
Le Roy hands out three new caps
Mboula’s call-up is not an isolated case: coach Claude Le Roy has also handed first call-ups to defender Nehemiah Fernandez and Mouanga Kevin, according to pepeta.co.ke. The coach is thus refreshing his squad before the double header against the Comoros.
On the pitch, the attacker arrives in form: last weekend, with Kifisia against Olympiacos, he scored a goal and provided an assist in fourteen minutes, according to El Diario Montañés.
A Group G campaign off to a poor start
The sporting context is difficult: Congo are bottom of Group G with one point from two matches, far behind Cameroon, the leaders with four points, ahead of the Comoros and Namibia, three points each, according to pepeta.co.ke.
Congo face the Comoros on 13 November at the Stade Malouzini, then host them on 17 November in Brazzaville, four days later. Both matches are part of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
Congo have not played at the Africa Cup of Nations for a decade and have never played at a World Cup, recalls 101tv.es.