TP Mazembe captain Magloire Ntambwe earns first DR Congo call-up

Willy Kambwala’s withdrawal has led to a significant first for the DR Congo national team, with TP Mazembe captain Magloire Ntambwe Kalonji called up for the November international window.

The 27-year-old defender has been included in Sebastien Desabre’s squad for the two-legged 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie against Sierra Leone. His selection gives the domestic Congolese league a representative in the Leopards squad and ends a lengthy absence for outfield players based in the country.

Ntambwe will join the national team for the first time after being chosen as Kambwala’s replacement. He will report ahead of DR Congo’s home match against Sierra Leone at Kinshasa on Thursday, 12 November, with the return fixture scheduled to take place in Casablanca on 17 November.

The defender has been an established figure at TP Mazembe for several seasons. He began his career at the Moise Katumbi Football Academy, later played for CS Don Bosco and joined TP Mazembe in 2020. Since then, he has gradually become one of the club’s senior players.

Standing at 1.88m, Ntambwe is primarily a central defender but can also operate in front of the back four. His physical strength, aerial ability and consistency have helped him take on the captaincy at one of the continent’s leading clubs.

According to his profile published by TP Mazembe, he has won the Congolese championship three times, in 2022, 2024 and 2026. His performances over several full seasons made him a natural candidate whenever Desabre considered selecting a player from the Linafoot.

The call-up is also notable because opportunities for outfield players from the domestic league have become increasingly rare. Oscar Kabwit was the last such player to join the Leopards, when the TP Mazembe forward was summoned in November 2024 to replace Gael Kakuta after Kakuta withdrew.

In both cases, a place became available because of an injury. Desabre’s original squad contained no outfield player from the national championship.

The manager has said he monitors domestic competitions and is waiting for players to show that they are ready to step up to international football. By selecting TP Mazembe’s captain rather than another player based abroad, he has provided a first practical response to criticism that talent playing in the country has been overlooked.

Ntambwe now has several training sessions to make an impression on Desabre and compete for his first international minutes.