By Awambeng Bukum
Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
DR Congo have handed a late call‑up to veteran midfielder Gaël Kakuta for the 2025 Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The 34‑year‑old playmaker, currently plying his trade with Turkish second‑tier side Sakaryaspor, comes in to bolster the Leopards’ squad in Group D, where they are drawn alongside Benin, Botswana and Senegal. Kakuta replaces Anderlecht midfielder Mario Stroeykens, who was ruled out through injury ahead of DR Congo’s opening fixture.
Born in Lille, France, Kakuta enjoyed a highly‑rated youth career with French national teams before switching his international allegiance to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2017. He made his debut for the Leopards in a friendly against Kenya, scoring in a 2‑1 defeat, and has since earned nearly 30 caps while contributing goals in qualifiers and tournament action.
Though once touted as a prodigious talent at Chelsea and across Europe, Kakuta’s journey has been a nomadic one — stretching across more than a dozen clubs in countries from France and England to Spain, China, Iran and now Turkey. Yet, his experience remains invaluable for DR Congo. He featured for the Leopards in AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast, where they reached the semi‑finals before losing narrowly, and his creativity, vision and calm on the ball could prove decisive in tight games in Morocco.
Now 34, Kakuta brings leadership and tactical awareness to a Leopards midfield that will lean on seasoned pros as they seek to navigate a tricky Group D and mount a serious challenge for continental honours on African soil.
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