Head coach Sébastien Desabre unveiled a 26-man Leopards squad for Sierra Leone on Friday 6 November in Kinshasa, with Fiston Mayele (Al Ahli Tripoli) among four forwards and Cédric Bakambu back. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is absent through injury.
Fiston Mayele will indeed be there for the double-header against Sierra Leone. The Al Ahli Tripoli forward is in the 26-man list announced by head coach Sébastien Desabre on Friday 6 November at a press conference at the FECOFA headquarters in Kinshasa (source: 7sur7). Desabre has kept four forwards for this camp, according to Walfoot.
The list breaks down into three goalkeepers, nine defenders, ten midfielders and four forwards (source: 7sur7). It also confirms several returns: that of Cédric Bakambu, the San Diego forward, and that of goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu, according to Walfoot. Noah Mbamba also returns after an injury picked up at the last camp (source: Africasoccer).
Wan-Bissaka, the only injury absentee
The only injury absentee is Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Africasoccer reports. He will therefore miss both meetings with Sierra Leone, while the Leopards have so far won every one of their Group E matches.
Besides Wan-Bissaka, four players have been left out: Mario Stroeykens, Samuel Essende, Anthony Musaba and Paris Maghoma (source: Africasoccer). The report does not specify the reason for these omissions.
With Mayele and Bakambu, the list contains four forwards for the double-header, a squad that now includes the return of Bakambu, the San Diego forward.
Two wins to open Group E
DR Congo go into this camp with two wins from two matches in Group E, according to Beninwebtv.
What is at stake in the pool: the top two teams in the group qualify for CAN 2027, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (source: Beninwebtv).
Two matches five days apart
DR Congo face Sierra Leone on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 16:00 GMT (source: Beninwebtv).
The return match is played on Tuesday 17 November 2026, at the same time. Group E has four teams: DR Congo, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe.