Everton forward Yannick Bolasie is conspicuosly missing from the list of 28 players DR Congo coach Florent Ikwange Ibenge has named for a warm-up match against World Cup-bound Super Eagles on 28 May in Port Harcourt.
The tie will precede the Super Eagles’ final World Cup friendly against the Three Lions of England on 2 June at Wembley Stadium. Ibenge, who also doubles up as the manager of AS Vita Club blended the squad with 11 home-based professionals with the rest being foreign-based. Featuring prominently in the list is TP Mazembe prodigy Ben Malango, who is enjoying a scintillating form with the Ravens currently. Malango, a graduate of Moise Katumbi Academy, is the leading top scorer in the DR Congo league with 18 goals. On Tuesday, he scored in Mazembe’s 2-0 win over Difaa El Jadida of Morocco in the CAF Champions League. Former Villarrealstriker Cedric Bakambu who now plays in China, former Chelsea player Gaël Kakuta who now plays Ligue 1 club Amiens SC, on loan from Hebei China Fortune, and Wolves striker Benik Afobe are also in the squad. On Monday, Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr named a 30-man provisional squad for the forthcoming World Cup in Russia. The team will play DRC and England before it is trimmed to 23 for the final World Cup squad. Nigeria have been drawn in Group D in Russia, alongside Argentina, Iceland and Croatia, who they open their tournament against in Kiliningrad on June 16.