DR Congo’s Leopards coach Florent Ibenge has cast a very wide net for the upcoming 2015 AFCON qualifiers, pre-selecting an enormous squad of 107 players to prepare for the double-header against Cameroon and Sierra Leone.
Most of the players on the list are dual nationals who have yet to commit to the Leopards, with Ibenge hopeful of convincing some high-profile names such as Michy Batshuayi (Marseille), Arnold Mvuemba (Lyon), and Jirès Kembo (Al Jaish).
Notably, injured striker Dieumerci Mbokani (Dynamo Kyiv) is included but expected to miss the qualifiers due to a four-month injury layoff.
The squad is very diverse, featuring players from clubs all over Europe, including Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Russia, and Qatar, as well as several from domestic DR Congo teams like TP Mazembe, Vclub, and others.
Ibenge will trim this extensive list down to a final 23-man squad for the training camp starting August 25.
Summary of key points:
Pre-selection size: 107 players
Coach: Florent Ibenge (also AS Vita Club coach)
Goal: Prepare for double AFCON 2015 qualifiers against Cameroon and Sierra Leone
Notables: Michy Batshuayi, Arnold Mvuemba, Jirès Kembo
Injured: Dieumerci Mbokani (4 months out)
Training camp start: August 25
Next step: Squad cut to 23 players
