DR Congo squad for AFCON 2025: Yoane Wissa not called-up, Aaron Wan-Bissaka included
DR Congo will start their AFCON 2025 trophy quest on December 23rd.
DR Congo have announced their 26-man roster for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with Newcastle United star Yoane Wissa not named in the squad.
Wissa, 29, sustained a knee injury on international duty and hasn’t managed to play for Newcastle United since his arrival from Brentford at the beginning of the Premier League season.
Yoane Wissa not included in DR Congo squad
He has resumed training at his club. Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle, stated:
“Yoane participated in an 11 v 11 training game while we were at Everton. He’ll have another one at some stage this week, and we’ll see how close he is (to returning to action).”
But Wissa is not included in the team for this month’s competition in Morocco.
Coach Sebastien Desabre has included former Belgium junior internationals Michel-Ange Balikwisha, goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo, and Mario Stroeykens, who all received their first call-up last month.
To secure a place in the 2026 World Cup in March, Desabre has maintained faith in the team that won the African World Cup playoff last month.
On December 23, the Congolese, who are in Group D, will play their first match in Rabat against Benin. Senegal and Botswana are also in their group.
Also Read: Cameroon squad for AFCON 2025
DR Congo squad for AFCON 2025
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)
Which AFCON 2025 group are DR Congo in?
DR Congo is in group D.
Which other nations are in their group?
Senegal, Benin and Botswana are in their group.
When will DR Congo start their AFCON 2025 competition?
They will start their AFCON competition on 23rd December.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.