{"id":491899,"date":"2026-06-14T05:51:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T05:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/491899\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T05:51:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T05:51:09","slug":"dr-congo-bring-style-and-pride-to-the-world-cup-after-wholesome-welcome-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-football-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/491899\/","title":{"rendered":"DR Congo bring style and pride to the World Cup after wholesome welcome | Democratic Republic of the Congo football team"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was an arrival worth more than half a century of waiting. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) players strolled into the arrivals hall of George Bush airport on Thursday kitted out in tuxedo suits and leopard-print sashes, channelling La Sape vogue for snappy dress that swept Kinshasa in the 1970s. A throng of local volunteers cheered them through<\/a> and, in a climate where little can be taken for granted, their welcome to Houston was a genuinely wholesome moment.<\/p>\n

The DRC\u2019s squad looked appreciative although perhaps they were simply relieved to see new faces. The joy of a first World Cup since 1974, when they competed as Zaire, has been complicated by the Ebola outbreak in their homeland and a 21-day isolation period<\/a> imposed by the US authorities. The players and staff formed a bubble in Belgium, playing one friendly against Denmark and being forced to cancel a scheduled meeting with Chile in C\u00e1diz.<\/p>\n

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For all the precautions there were at least few of the difficulties apparently encountered by Senegal and Uzbekistan upon entering. The DRC are understood to have had temperatures screened before disembarking their flight, but made it in with no alarms and found a host venue keen to roll out the red carpet. They will be based in Houston for as long as their tournament continues, training at the compact SaberCats Stadium in the city\u2019s south. Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo await on Wednesday; it is a brutally tough return to the top, but the stature of their opposition feels less important than the fact of being here at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always dreamed of this,\u201d said Jonathan, sitting in the stadium\u2019s main stand on Friday afternoon. \u201cA lot of people have been waiting a long time, but we never gave up. I believe this is our time.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was among about 70 members of the local Congolese expat community invited to watch the team\u2019s training session on Friday, along with a large group of local children who joined the players for photographs. Kapinga Yvette Ngandu, DRC\u2019s ambassador to the United States, took part in a semi-formal welcome ceremony. Houston appears eager to pull out the stops and S\u00e9bastien Desabre\u2019s side hope to ensure their hospitality extends into July.<\/p>\n

The DRC ambassador to the US, Kapinga Yvette Ngandu (centre) holds the national flag on Friday. Photograph: Troy Taormina\/Imagn Images\/Reuters<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to adapt,\u201d said Desabre when asked about any ill consequences of their disrupted preparation. \u201cWe\u2019re focused on our work, we\u2019re professionals and sometimes the way is not easy. It\u2019s not a problem for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Real Betis forward C\u00e9dric Bakambu, a 35-year-old veteran of several qualifying near-misses, drew the most adulation from those looking on. The Congolese diaspora in Houston is thought to number about 10,000, if US-born children are counted; it remains to be seen how many have navigated the tournament\u2019s prohibitive prices to watch the troubled country\u2019s date with history.<\/p>\n

Chancel Mbemba (left) enjoys being with his teammates during training. Photograph: Troy Taormina\/Imagn Images\/Reuters<\/p>\n

Jonathan, who left the DRC 17 years ago at the age of 21 and lives five minutes\u2019 drive from SaberCats Stadium, was not giving up on witnessing it at first-hand . \u201cI\u2019m trying to be there, I\u2019ve got to be there,\u201d he said. \u201cThe tickets are crazy expensive, but we\u2019re going to have to try and do what we can for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Desabre, a Frenchman who did the rounds of 11 managerial roles in Africa before striking gold with the DRC, hopes they can do plenty for Jonathan and his local peers, as well as the millions watching back home who cannot spend the time or money on quarantining. \u201cWe are very affected [by the situation],\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an additional source of motivation for us to fight on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chancel Mbemba player guide<\/a><\/p>\n

A win against Colombia or Uzbekistan would give the DRC a strong shout of progressing through Group K and potentially a last-32 meeting with England, even if Portugal prove too strong. Desabre said an African World Cup<\/a> winner was \u201cjust a question of time\u201d; it would probably be the biggest shock in football history if his players achieved it, but an experienced core, including Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Chancel Mbemba, will not be easily rolled over.<\/p>\n

DRC fans were out in force when the players trained at SaberCats Stadium. Photograph: Maria Lysaker\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

There will be no repeat of 1974, when Zaire tumbled out with a goal difference of -14 and were mocked when Mwepu Ilunga\u2019s decision<\/a> to burst from the defensive wall against Brazil, smashing the ball upfield before a free-kick could be taken, was widely misinterpreted. \u201cWe prepared well and now we want to be well represented in this group,\u201d Desabre said. \u201cAfter 52 years, it\u2019s really a pride, a pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joining the chants of \u201cMbote\u201d, which means \u201cwelcome\u201d in Lingala, Jonathan was a picture of both. \u201cWe have resilience and we really have faith,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

If their early moments in Houston are anything to go by, the DRC can also boast bucket-loads of style.<\/p>\n