The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) national team have officially recalled experienced attacking midfielder Gaël Kakuta to their squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, following an injury setback suffered by Mario Stroeykens.
In an official statement, the Congolese Football Federation confirmed that Stroeykens will miss the tournament after picking up an injury with his club in his most recent match. The federation announced that the technical staff had decided to bring Kakuta back into the squad as his replacement.
“Due to an injury contracted with his club during his last match, player Mario Stroeykens will unfortunately not be able to participate in AFCON 2025. The technical staff has decided to recall Gaël Kakuta,” the statement read.
Kakuta currently plays for Sakaryaspor in the Turkish second division. The 34-year-old atracking midfielder previously represented France at youth level, where he won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, before later switching allegiance to represent DR Congo at senior international level.
The veteran has made 28 international appearances for the Leopards, scoring three goals and providing one assist.
