Gabriel Zakuani swiftly declined an opportunity to co-commentate during the anticipated match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and England in the World Cup’s knockout stage. The former defender for Peterborough and Leyton Orient, who captains the Leopards, is a familiar voice on BBC Radio 5 Live throughout the tournament, but he felt the emotional weight of this significant encounter would be too much to bear.
“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,’”
Having previously covered a match between Colombia and DR Congo, he realized he was becoming too emotionally invested and decided to step back from any further commentary on Congolese matches.
Instead, Zakuani plans to enjoy the game alongside the vibrant local community in West Green Road, Tottenham, filled with pride for his nation’s achievements. The 40-year-old has been actively involved with the national team, assisting in the assembly of coach Sébastien Desabre’s squad from Congolese players based in Europe. He attended their pre-tournament training camps in both Belgium and Spain and was present for their opening match against Portugal, which ended in a 1-1 draw. This marked the DRC’s first World Cup appearance since 1974, when they qualified as Zaire, showcasing their readiness for the global stage.
Confidence surged after their comeback from a goal down against Uzbekistan, leading to a clash with Thomas Tuchel’s squad. Zakuani believes they can draw from Ghana’s earlier performance against England.
“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.”
he comments. “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.
“There are holes in England. I think it’s been glaring,”
Familiar faces will grace the pitch on both sides, including Yoane Wissa from Newcastle, Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, all likely to be in the starting lineup. Axel Tuanzebe even shares a background with Marcus Rashford, as they both attended Ashton on Mersey school in Greater Manchester during their youth careers at Manchester United. The Burnley defender has had an impressive tournament thus far.
Only six players on the squad were born in the DRC, including Fiston Mayele, who netted a goal against Uzbekistan after leaving the domestic league in 2021 to play in Tanzania and subsequently moving to Egypt. Zakuani has played a pivotal role in encouraging Wissa, Tuanzebe, and Sadiki, who is under scrutiny from Chelsea and United after an impressive debut season in the Premier League, to commit to the Leopards. “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.” Zakuani reveals regarding the Belgian-born midfielder.
“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,”
This trend appears to be gaining momentum, as emerging talents like Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye have opted to reject France before the tournament. Wan-Bissaka required some convincing, even after Zakuani and Desabre visited his parents’ home in Purley, having crafted a plan at a nearby Costa Coffee. The irony of Tuchel’s challenges at right-back during the World Cup has not escaped notice, considering the 28-year-old’s previous experience with the England Under-21s.
“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 states. “Aaron’s had a fantastic tournament,”
The DRC’s journey to this World Cup has been arduous, finishing just behind Senegal in their qualifying group and overcoming formidable opponents like Cameroon and Nigeria in the playoffs, followed by a victory over Jamaica in the intercontinental final. Zakuani remains optimistic that their battle-tested squad can achieve a monumental upset.
“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.”
“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,”
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