Friendly: DR Congo's Leopards field twelve newcomers against Uganda in Johannesburg

The Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo face the Cranes of Uganda on Friday, October 2, 2026, at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is the first of two friendly matches scheduled against the same opponent, with the second expected on October 5, 2026.

The match is being played behind closed doors, without spectators in the stands, with kickoff set for 3:00 PM local time, or 2:00 PM in Kinshasa, according to Africa Top Sports, which announced a broadcast by RTNC and FUFA TV.

Twelve new faces in the den

Sébastien Desabre has published two distinct lists, one for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers and the other for these friendlies, and has called up twelve new players. Among them, according to Actualité.cd: Willy Kambwala (Como), Jorthy Mokio (Ajax Amsterdam), Ezechiel Banzuzi (RB Leipzig), Stevy Mavididi (Watford), Junior Kadile (RC Lens), Jordy Makengo (Freiburg), Kevin Pedro (Saint-Étienne), Brandon Ndezi (Dijon), and Nathan Ndibu, from the Congolese club Aigles du Congo.

The French coach warns that nothing is handed out. "These are players we have called up to the national team," he reminds us, believing they can bring something extra to the group. He insists above all on the requirements: "you have to be impactful in the match," and have the "mindset" of the collective he is building, reports Radio Okapi.

Four players, however, have been declared unavailable for this gathering: Stanis Idumbo, Paris Maghoma, Anthony Musaba, and Noah Mbamba.

Expanding the pool while the momentum is good

The DRC is approaching these tests from a position of strength. In September 2026, the Leopards beat Equatorial Guinea 2-0 and then Zimbabwe 2-1 in Harare, and they sit alone at the top of Group E in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, according to Radio Okapi.

With an international window stretching over nearly three weeks, according to Actualité.cd, the Congolese staff has time to observe, compare, and make decisions. The stake of these two friendlies is less about the result than the depth of the squad: in a continental tournament where matches follow one another, the density of the bench weighs as much as the starting eleven.

For the Congolese diaspora, these call-ups also have symbolic value. Trained in Europe, Kambwala, Mokio, Banzuzi, or Mavididi are choosing to wear the jersey of their country of origin, in a continent where the battle to attract dual-nationals has become a permanent project for African national teams.