Ngal'ayel Mukau omitted from DR Congo squad after failing to report

The DR Congo Football Federation (FECOFA) has suspended national team midfielder Ngal'ayel Mukau for not honoring a call-up for the June friendlies against Mali and Madagascar. The Belgium-born player was absent when Sébastien Desabre and his staff began preparations for the friendly matches in France.

In an official statement, FECOFA stated that LOSC Lille midfielder Mukau failed to report to the training camp. "The Congolese Football Federation informs the public that the player Ngalayel Mukau did not show up at the start of the national team's senior training session, as part of the FIFA window in June.”

The 20-year-old is now excluded from the squad list and can expect further sanctions, FECOFA confirmed. FECOFA further emphasized that the national team’s working environment must remain healthy. "FECOFA reiterates that respect for the working environment and collective commitment constitutes one of the fundamental values that govern the functioning of the DR Congo national team.”

Players not honoring national team call-ups is a situation that sometimes occurs in African football. In most cases, national football federations impose heavy sanctions, including a total ban. Mukau’s future with the DR Congo national team now hangs in the balance if further sanctions are applied.

He has been a DR Congo national team player since his debut in late 2024, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-2 home defeat to Ethiopia and coming off the bench against Guinea. He was an unused substitute when DR Congo beat South Sudan and Mauritania in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifier Group B matches.