Gabriel Zakuani declined an opportunity to co-commentate on the highly anticipated World Cup match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and England, stating that he could not bear the thought of working during such a pivotal moment in his nation’s football history. The former defender for Peterborough and Leyton Orient, who captains the Leopards, has been a regular contributor to BBC Radio 5 Live throughout the tournament.
“I was down to do the England game, but I just said: ‘There’s too much emotion in it. I won’t be able to do it,’”
“I did the Colombia v DR Congo and I could just feel myself getting too attached. So I had to say that I don’t want to do any more Congolese games.”
Instead, Zakuani will be watching the match among the vibrant local community in West Green Road, Tottenham, filled with pride for his country’s achievements. As a consultant for the Congolese football federation, he played a significant role in assembling a team that reflects the Congolese diaspora in Europe. The 40-year-old participated in the squad’s pre-tournament training camps in Belgium and Spain, and he was present for their opening match against Portugal, which ended in a 1-1 draw. This was the DR Congo’s first World Cup game since 1974, when they qualified as Zaire, marking a return to the global stage.
Confidence among the team has surged, especially after their comeback victory against Uzbekistan that set up a clash with Thomas Tuchel’s England. Zakuani believes they can draw inspiration from Ghana’s performance against England in the group stages.
“There are holes in England. I think it’s been glaring,” Zakuani stated. “When you sit back against England, they struggle to open you up. I don’t think they selected players who are capable of doing that on a regular basis. That’s what we’ll exploit. If you stop Jude Bellingham, I think you stop a lot of England. We’re very athletic and we’re very good defensively. And I think we’ve got a bit more than Ghana going forward. “So I would say if we can hold them for as long as possible, we will get chances. And we just have to be clinical when we do get those chances. That’s the way I see us beating England.”
“I was assistant manager of the under-20s for a couple of years, and he [Sadiki] was in that squad. And straight away I was on WhatsApp to the [senior team] manager saying, this player shouldn’t be here, he should be with you,”
Both teams will feature many familiar faces, including Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa, Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, all of whom are expected to start. Notably, Axel Tuanzebe attended the same school as Marcus Rashford, both coming through the youth ranks at Manchester United. Wan-Bissaka has had a standout performance in the tournament thus far.
Of the squad, only six players were born in the DRC, including Fiston Mayele, who scored in the match against Uzbekistan and made the transition from the domestic league in 2021 to play in Tanzania before moving to Egypt. Zakuani has been instrumental in encouraging Wissa, Tuanzebe, and Sadiki—who is now on the radar of Chelsea and Manchester United—to commit to the Leopards. “I had a long conversation with Sadiki and realised early on that he’s very passionate about playing for Congo. He’s so driven that he believed he should have been in the Belgian squad already at that point as a teenager. But he wanted to make the switch to Congo and he just felt that something was tugging him towards Congo.” Zakuani recalled regarding the Belgian-born midfielder.
“Aaron’s had a fantastic tournament,”
This trend is becoming increasingly prevalent, as emerging talents like Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Ibrahim Mbaye of Senegal have also chosen to turn away from France ahead of the tournament. Wan-Bissaka required some convincing, especially after Zakuani visited his parents’ home in Purley alongside Desabre, after discussing their strategy at a nearby Costa Coffee. The challenges that Tuchel has faced at right-back during the World Cup have not gone unnoticed, particularly since Wan-Bissaka has previously represented England at the U-21 level.
“I think he was unlucky not to be part of the England setup, especially not the year before last he got West Ham’s player of the year. When he didn’t get that England call-up, that’s when he said: ‘No, this is enough now.’ He was at that age where he needed to play international football.” Zakuani remarked. “That journey has probably stood us in good stead in terms of getting through the playoffs, getting used to playing under pressure consistently. The unity is there for everyone to see,”
The DR Congo has navigated a challenging path to the World Cup, finishing just a point behind Senegal in their qualifying group and eliminating formidable opponents like Cameroon and Nigeria in the playoffs before defeating Jamaica in the intercontinental final. Zakuani is hopeful that this battle-tested squad can pull off a significant upset.
“Inside that dressing room, they believe they can get a result. I believe there could be a scalp here. I’m not just saying it because I’m on the Congolese side. I think it’s going to be a tighter match than everyone presumes.”
“Inside that dressing room, they believe they can get a result. I believe there could be a scalp here. I’m not just saying it because I’m on the Congolese side. I think it’s going to be a tighter match than everyone presumes.”
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