DR Congo Leaves Yoane Wissa Out of Africa Cup of Nations Squad

The Democratic Republic of Congo has decided to exclude forward Yoane Wissa from their 26-man squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, which begins later this month in Morocco. Wissa, who is currently sidelined due to a knee injury sustained while on international duty, has not played for Newcastle United since his transfer from Brentford at the start of the Premier League season.

Despite returning to training, Wissa’s absence from the squad is notable. On Monday, Eddie Howe, Newcastle’s manager, confirmed Wissa’s participation in an 11-a-side training match during their session at Everton. “He’ll have another one at some stage this week and we’ll see how close he is to returning to action,” Howe stated, indicating hope for Wissa’s recovery.

In contrast, Sebastien Desabre, head coach of the Congolese national team, has opted to maintain the integrity of the squad that secured a victory in last month’s World Cup African playoff against Nigeria. This win advanced DR Congo to the inter-confederation playoffs scheduled for March 2024 in Mexico, where they will compete for a place in the World Cup alongside New Caledonia or Jamaica.

Group Stage Matches and Squad Details

DR Congo finds themselves in Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations, set to play their first match against Benin in Rabat on December 23. They will also face Botswana and Senegal in the group stage.

Desabre has chosen to include several players who were called up for the first time last month, among them former Belgium junior internationals Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Matthieu Epolo, and Mario Stroeykens. Balikwisha made an impactful debut, successfully converting a penalty during the shootout that led to their narrow victory over Nigeria.

The complete squad for DR Congo is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege), Timothy Fayulu (Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre)

Defenders: Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian), Gedeon Kalulu (Aris Limassol), Steve Kapuadi (Legia Warsaw), Joris Kayembe (Racing Genk), Arthur Masuaku (Sunderland), Chancel Mbemba (Olympique de Marseille), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United)

Midfielders: Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow), Michel-Ange Balikwisha (Glasgow Celtic), Brian Cipenga (Castellon), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille), Charles Pickel (Espanyol), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Mario Stroeykens (Anderlecht)

Forwards: Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis), Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Samuel Essende (Augsburg), Meshack Elia (Alanyaspor), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids)

As the tournament approaches, DR Congo will be aiming to build on their recent success and make a significant impact in the Africa Cup of Nations.