Gabriel Zakuani wasted no time in rejecting an opportunity to co-commentate on the highly anticipated World Cup match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and England. The former defender for Peterborough and Leyton Orient, who also captains the Leopards, has contributed regularly to BBC Radio 5 Live during the tournament but felt unable to work during such a significant event.
“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,’”
His experience of commentating on the Colombia versus DR Congo game left him feeling overly invested, prompting his decision to step back from covering additional Congolese matches.
Instead of working, Zakuani plans to watch the game with a large local community in West Green Road, Tottenham, filled with pride. The 40-year-old has been involved closely with the team, participating in their pre-tournament training sessions in Belgium and Spain before witnessing their opening match against Portugal. The 1-1 draw marked DR Congo’s first World Cup appearance since 1974, when they became the first sub-Saharan African nation to qualify for the finals, demonstrating their competitiveness on this stage.
Confidence has surged since they rallied from a goal down to defeat Uzbekistan, setting the stage for a match against Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. Zakuani believes they can draw lessons 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 observes. “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,”
Both teams will feature several familiar players, including Yoane Wissa from Newcastle, Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Axel Tuanzebe attended the same school as Marcus Rashford in Greater Manchester, where they both emerged through the Manchester United youth ranks. The Burnley defender has been impressive throughout the tournament.
Only six players in the squad were born in the DRC, among them Fiston Mayele, who scored against Uzbekistan after leaving the domestic league in 2021 for Tanzania and then Egypt. Zakuani has played a crucial role in ensuring that Wissa, Tuanzebe, and Sadiki—who is attracting interest from Chelsea and Manchester United after a standout season—committed to the Congolese national team. “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 recounts.
“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,”
The trend of dual nationals choosing to represent their countries of heritage is growing, with emerging talents like Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye opting out of playing for France before the tournament. Wan-Bissaka needed some convincing, even after Zakuani visited his parents’ home in Purley with Desabre, brainstorming at a nearby Costa Coffee. However, the situation surrounding Tuchel’s difficulties at right-back during the World Cup has not gone unnoticed, especially since the 28-year-old previously played three times for England’s Under-21 team.
“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 remarks. “Aaron’s had a fantastic tournament,”
Having finished just behind Senegal in their qualifying group, the DRC overcame African powerhouses Cameroon and Nigeria in the playoffs before defeating Jamaica in the intercontinental final. Zakuani remains hopeful that a team forged through adversity 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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