From Purley to a World Cup Playoff: The DRC's European Talent Hunt
Aaron Wan-Bissaka was born in Croydon, and the pivotal conversation that led to his international debut unfolded in nearby Purley. Now, he stands on the brink of representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo at a World Cup, marking a dramatic shift in his football career.
Secret Mission in a Costa Coffee
In 2022, Gabriel Zakuani, a former captain of the DRC with over 400 EFL games to his name, met with newly appointed manager Sébastien Desabre at a Costa Coffee in Purley. Their mission was clandestine: to recruit talent for the Congolese national team. At the time, Wan-Bissaka was at Manchester United, holding out for an England call-up after playing for the under-21s. Zakuani, raised in London but born in Kinshasa, had other plans.
"The manager contacted me out of the blue and he was in London," Zakuani recalls. "It was a very random trip – he just wanted to watch players that potentially could play for Congo. We met at Costa and less than an hour into the conversation I had rung up Aaron's family and we were at Aaron's house. We were having a conversation with his mum and dad about potentially getting him to change his nationality. It snowballed from there."
Seizing the Opportunity
Wan-Bissaka moved to West Ham in 2024 and was tipped for an England call-up from Thomas Tuchel in March 2025. When that didn't materialize, Zakuani acted swiftly. "We thought it was the right sign to strike," he says. "We put our offer on the table. We had all his paperwork ready to sign and he agreed. I think that was his last opportunity maybe to play for England. He knew that we really wanted him."
Wan-Bissaka switched allegiances in August last year and has no regrets. He joined Burnley's Axel Tuanzebe, another player recruited by Zakuani, in the Leopards team that competed at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Now, DRC faces a playoff in Mexico against Jamaica, with a win securing their first World Cup appearance since 1974, when they were known as Zaire.
Scouting Across Europe
Zakuani's role as a talent spotter began during his playing days, when he successfully persuaded Yannick Bolasie to play for DRC. Today, as an assistant coach for the Under-20s, he scours European leagues for players with Congolese heritage. "I used to do a lot of commentating so if I saw someone with a surname that looks Congolese then I would investigate," he explains. "But now because I'm working very closely with the national team, there's got to be a lot more thought put into it."
His efforts have paid off: 21 of DRC's 26-strong 2025 Africa Cup of Nations squad were born in Europe. Zakuani, who speaks eight languages, leverages his former captaincy to ease transitions. "I've got that connection, that direct link to recommend them straight away. They can go in and get the paperwork sorted just to lock them in for Congo."
Future Prospects and World Cup Dreams
Joel Ndala, an England Under-20s forward on loan from Manchester City at Sheffield Wednesday, is among those on Zakuani's radar. "We're working hard on that one," he says. Should DRC qualify for the World Cup, more players may show interest. "We have got players in the pipeline," Zakuani notes. "There's things that have been in the background happening for about a year now. But because we've got to this position in the playoffs, we need to just stick with what we've got."
Emulating the 1974 Zaire side has been a driving force. "When the manager took charge, that was his goal," Zakuani says. "The federation set him a clear instruction to get into the World Cup. We've done it the hard way by getting through the playoffs and now we're believing that we can actually get there. The country believes that we can do it – we can't make it 52 years without getting to a World Cup. I think it's the right time. It's the right time with the team. We don't want to miss this opportunity."
