DR Congo: Axel Tuanzebe hopes Leopards can make lasting impact beyond football in first World Cup since 1974 | football news

DR Congo are preparing for their first World Cup in more than half a century, while war rages back home.

A nation’s smiles, their first appearance in a World Cup finals since 1974, shielded them from tears in a nation plagued by poverty, problematic health care, and limited access to food.

The decades-long conflict has displaced millions, particularly affecting the country’s east, as armed forces battle over the country’s natural minerals and resources.

No matter how long DR Congo last in the tournament, attention will shift away from the humanitarian crisis at home to support the Leopards. It is a duty that those within the DR Congo camp wear with pride.

“I’m not a politician, but the joy I can bring to Congo is through football,” said defender Axel Tuanzebe. Sky Sports.

“For Congo, trying to take the right steps and thinking about how I can influence it personally. I can influence it through my football platform.

“That was the biggest point for me playing for Congo. I think a lot of our political problems in the country are how the country has been exploited over the years because it’s rich in minerals.

“The world shouldn’t be like this. I think we have enough intelligence, enough resources around the world for everyone to live a comfortable life.

“So all I can do is put my two cents out there as a footballer, and hopefully it can help make a movement or change to a better life and a better world. It feels like a responsibility.”

Tuanzebi is already a national hero. Like his international teammates, who have shown a new path for a nation of 116 million people. Tuanzebe, however, scored D The goal against Jamaica is to make the 116 million World Cup dream come true.

Having spent just two years representing DR Congo, he has already seen the fruits of his nation’s recent success and its impact on its people.

“I remember the first time I came back from my first camp and drove down the road to the hotel,” Tuanzebe recalls.

“Some of the places you see and you see now how people live, it was hard to see. I just think people shouldn’t live like this, especially in the times we’re in now.

“In terms of the level of intelligence that we have access to as humans, it can be eliminated very quickly.

“There really shouldn’t be a famine. It’s too much to bear.

“For a country that is so rich in natural resources, it is clearly being exploited. There is unfair trade and its various aspects.

“But that’s why I try to give my best every time I wear the shirt. Just to see them, people smiling, all of them waving in the street, following the tour bus when we celebrated the qualification.

“It was great to see. That journey from the airport to the hotel was a lot different, closer this time.”

‘We want a Saudi-Argentina-style upset against Portugal’

The World Cup represents the culmination of the Leopards’ efforts on the pitch.

Going back to AFCON 2023, where DR Congo reached the semi-finals, progress has been slow and steady under head coach Sebastien Desabre as the Leopards attempt to reclaim their place among Africa’s leading nations.

DR Congo, formerly known as Zaire, is the first sub-Saharan African team to play in the World Cup.

Now, they are in a group with Portugal, as well as Colombia and Uzbekistan.

Portugal led by Cristiano Ronaldo will be first. It’s a team that includes Twanzeb’s former Manchester United team-mates Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot in a squad full of world-class names.

But DR Congo’s confidence remains unshaken and they are eyeing upset Tuanzebe as much as Saudi Arabia’s scalp against world champions Argentina in Qatar in 2022.

“In my opinion, I think Portugal are in the top three to win the competition,” Tuanzebe said.

“It would be nice to do what Saudi Arabia did to Argentina and cause a major upset. But it will just be about enjoying the game.

“Our president will be there to watch the game. We want to make our country proud, make the president proud and start our campaign with something special.

“It’s definitely a game we’re looking forward to. So, fear not, just approach it and take it as it is.”

“I don’t think there’s any expectation of what we’ll do; I think there’s a goal. The goal is definitely to try to qualify for the next round. And what that looks like, we don’t quite know.

“But we have a vision of what we want to achieve. But in the end, we want people to be happy to see us on that stage, to give our best, to win late against Portugal, who knows? This is football; it can happen any day.

“But it’s just to bring a spark back to Congolese football, giving Congolese people all over the world, something to celebrate, something to talk about for years to come. And keep progressing.”

‘Play for something bigger than yourself’

Tuanzebe is set to start against Portugal, where he will line up alongside his former United teammate Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

The duo epitomizes the growth of the national team. Both Wan-Bissaka and Tuanzebe once played for England.

Wan-Bissaka was even named in a Three Lions camp in 2019, when Twanzebe played alongside Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin at youth England level.

For Tuanzeb, playing for DR Congo had something convincing about legitimate reservations about the infrastructure he would visit.

Tuanzebe spoke to former Crystal Palace and Everton forward Yannick Bolasie, who made the jump to represent DR Congo during a more difficult era for the DR Congo federation. Tuanzebe eventually chose to play for DR Congo in 2024.

“I have been in contact with the Congolese federation for a long time. The first memory is from when I was 17 years old. At that time, first-team international football was not a priority for me.

“So there was an internal meeting and we didn’t think it was the best moment to go ahead with it. And obviously, I think a little bit of development from the federation, I think things weren’t up to scratch or up to standard. So some expectations that as professionals we weren’t where you want them to be.

“Since then, a lot has changed. And obviously, the older I got in my career, the more comfortable I was talking to other Congolese players about playing for the national team.

“So Yannick (Bolasie), for example, is a big, you might say, sort of figure for me within the national team.

“And once I talked to him a few times about it, he assured me, you know what, yeah, it’s time. It’s in a good place, a good set up. And you need somebody to take it to the next level.”

Despite the delayed decision, Tuanzebe always felt Congolese, making joining the Leopards’ dressing room a seamless transition.

Although his hometown, Rochdale, doesn’t boast the same concentration of Congolese communities as Paris, Brussels or parts of London, Tuanzebe can count on his family to make him feel like he didn’t leave the Congo at a young age.

The drive to United training, where he graduated from the academy, will feature his father’s favorite Congolese musicians, Joski Kiambukuta, Werason, Kofi Olomide and Fali Ipupa at full volume.

At home his dinner plate always included Congo’s most beloved dishes: “makemba” (plantain), beignets, “soso” (chicken) and or “nataba” (four-roasted goat meat).

A big part of Congolese culture is freedom of fashion and expression. DR Congo’s viral arrival in Houston is a reflection of that.

The team wore eye-catching tailored suits with leopard designs. The world was stunned, but anyone familiar with DR Congo and its people expected as much.

“Whenever there’s a Congolese event, you know, it’s going to be lively,” Tuanzebe said.

“It’s going to be good, it’s going to be fun. I’ve got that character in me too.

“This is who we are and we want to bring that to the world.”

The impact of the World Cup could extend beyond the matches and Tuanzebe hopes the legacy left by the Leopards will open the door for more dual-nationality players to see DR Congo as a viable international option.

“The message I want to send is that people are afraid of change,” Tuanzebe said.

“And for the younger generation that wants to come in, it’s easy to stay in your shell and do what’s in front of you and what’s comfortable.

“But if an opportunity presents itself to play for the heart, to play for something bigger than yourself, then I think you should go ahead and do it.”

Tuanzebe did so, and carried the tears of his nation in search of international joy.