The Democratic Republic of Congo have defended their decision to omit Yoane Wissa from their Africa Cup of Nations squad, insisting the move was taken to ensure the forward is fully fit for the World Cup playoffs scheduled for March.
Wissa, 29, sustained a knee injury during a World Cup qualifier against Senegal in September and only returned to competitive action three weeks ago with Newcastle United. Although he has since made substitute appearances in the Premier League and scored in a League Cup quarter-final victory over Fulham, head coach Sébastien Desabre said a cautious approach was required.
“We remained in close contact with Newcastle’s medical staff over the past months and decided to strictly follow medical protocols, without putting any pressure on him to return too early,” Desabre said at a press conference on Friday.
“In the end, I chose to leave him out of the Cup of Nations squad to give him the best possible conditions to recover fully, because we need him at his best.”
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Desabre admitted the decision was a difficult one but said the player understood the reasoning. “It was not an easy choice, and I know he is disappointed not to be here with his teammates, but he understands,” he added.
DR Congo face Senegal in a crucial Group D encounter on Saturday, renewing a rivalry that saw the reigning African champions secure a 3-2 win in Kinshasa during World Cup qualifying. Desabre’s men had defeated Benin by a narrow 1-0 scoreline in their AFCON 2025 opener.
Since then, the Congolese have recorded notable victories over Cameroon and Nigeria in the African playoffs and are now one match away from qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, where they will face either Jamaica or New Caledonia.
“The players are enjoying competing at the Cup of Nations finals and possibly, in six months, at the World Cup as well,” Desabre said. “We’ve achieved a lot in recent months, and we have strong technical quality in this team. We’ve shown that we are capable of getting results against Africa’s top sides.”
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