AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Paris Maghoma injury blow rules him out of first DR Congo duty

Paris Maghoma has been forced to withdraw from international duty after an injury ruled the Norwich City midfielder out of his first call-up to the DR Congo senior national team.

The 24-year-old had been preparing to represent the Leopards for the first time after switching his international allegiance from England, where he previously featured at Under-18 level.

However, an unspecified injury picked up during Norwich’s 4-3 defeat to Bolton Wanderers has ended his hopes of making his long-awaited senior international debut during the October break.

Maghoma confirmed his withdrawal in a post on Instagram, expressing his disappointment at missing the opportunity to represent his country.

“It bothers me that I can’t be part of the national team this time due to an injury from my last match. Good luck to all the Leopards in the games, I will be back.”

Maghoma misses chance to make DR Congo debut

Maghoma was not part of DR Congo’s squad for their crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe.

Instead, his first involvement with the national team was expected to come during a series of friendly matches against Uganda, with head coach Sebastien Desabre using the games to assess several new and recently recruited dual-national players.

His selection was part of DR Congo’s broader recruitment strategy as the Leopards continue to strengthen their squad by bringing in players eligible through family heritage.

Maghoma was among several dual-national players included in Desabre’s October plans, alongside his Norwich teammate Anthony Musaba.

The midfielder’s inclusion represented an important step in his international career after deciding to commit his future to DR Congo.

Having previously represented England at youth level, Maghoma qualified to play for the Leopards through his Congolese heritage and was due to use the Uganda friendlies as his first opportunity to establish himself at senior level.

Norwich’s international injury list grows

Maghoma’s withdrawal adds to Norwich’s growing list of players unavailable for international duty during the extended break.

He follows Jose Cordoba, Kenny McLean, Ben Chrisene and Mo Toure in withdrawing from their respective national teams because of injury concerns.

Norwich will continue to monitor the players as they work towards their return to Championship action in October.

While Maghoma will now remain with his club to focus on his recovery, two of Norwich’s other internationals were involved in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying action on Thursday.

Anis Ben Slimane came off the bench for Tunisia in their 1-1 draw with Uganda, making his first appearance for the national team since their disappointing World Cup campaign.

The Norwich midfielder played the final 21 minutes and had three shots blocked as Tunisia pushed for a winning goal.

Darlin Yongwa was also part of the Cameroon squad for their opening AFCON qualifier against Comoros.

The Norwich player remained an unused substitute, however, as Cameroon began their qualifying campaign with a 3-1 victory.

For Maghoma, the immediate focus will now shift to recovering from his injury and securing another opportunity to make his senior international debut for DR Congo.