{"id":25277,"date":"2025-10-31T17:19:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kick442.com\/?p=25277"},"modified":"2025-10-31T17:19:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:19:43","slug":"matthieu-epolo-opts-to-represent-dr-congo-at-senior-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kick442.com\/fr\/matthieu-epolo-opts-to-represent-dr-congo-at-senior-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthieu Epolo opts to represent DR Congo at senior level"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Angu Lesley Ngwa Akonwi<\/strong>
\nFootball Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Belgium-born defender Matthieu Epolo has officially committed his international future to the Democratic Republic of Congo, ending months of speculation over which country he would represent.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 20-year-old, who has previously featured for Belgium\u2019s youth national teams, confirmed his decision to play for the Leopards in a move warmly welcomed by DR Congo\u2019s football community.<\/p>\n

Epolo, who came through the ranks of Belgian football, is regarded as one of the most promising defenders of his generation. His decision adds further quality and youthful depth to a Congolese side eager to build for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the next Africa Cup of Nations.<\/p>\n

The young defender was born and raised in Belgium to Congolese parents, giving him eligibility for both nations. After representing Belgium at youth level, he has now chosen to honour his Congolese heritage at senior level \u2014 a choice that aligns with a growing trend among European-born players of Congolese descent returning to wear the national colours.<\/p>\n

His switch follows similar decisions made by several dual nationals, underlining the appeal of S\u00e9bastien Desabre\u2019s project with the Leopards \u2014 a blend of experience and young, dynamic talent.<\/p>\n

Epolo\u2019s integration into the DR Congo setup is expected to begin soon, with his debut likely to come in the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.<\/p>\n

\n

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This site is not responsible for the content displayed by external sites<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Angu Lesley Ngwa Akonwi Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon Belgium-born defender Matthieu Epolo has officially committed…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":25278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,5,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-african-football","category-football","category-lions"],"yoast_head":"\nMatthieu Epolo opts to represent DR Congo at senior level - KICK442 Sport News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kick442.com\/fr\/matthieu-epolo-opts-to-represent-dr-congo-at-senior-level\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Matthieu Epolo opts to represent DR Congo at senior level - 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