Kinshasa joy delays club returns for DR Congo World Cup heroes | OneFootball

DR Congo’s World Cup heroes returned to their clubs late after a rapturous reception in Kinshasa, with President Félix Tshisekedi honouring a first qualification since 1974 on Sunday. Among them was captain Chancel Mbemba of Lille.

According to L'Équipe, Lille's 3-0 win over Lens should ease irritation about Mbemba's late return. Unlike Ngal'ayel Mukau, who flew back straight after qualification and started the derby, Mbemba and team-mates Cedric Bakambu (Betis Seville), Arthur Masuaku (Lens), Simon Banza (Al Jazira) and Meschack Elia (Alanyaspor) were kept for the ceremony.

The squad had been told to wait in Guadalajara, Mexico, where they beat Jamaica 1-0 after extra time on 31 March, for a government-chartered flight. They departed only on Saturday, four days after the match.

After roughly 15 hours in the air, they landed in Kinshasa to find thousands lining the route from the airport to the Palais du peuple esplanade, where Tshisekedi addressed a jubilant crowd.

The president asked the Leopards what they wanted from the state as a reward, a prompt that saw supporters call for jobs. The players should receive a house, a car and money.

Skipping the celebration would have been awkward, and it would have been wiser to inform clubs directly rather than rely on a federation letter. Many in the squad felt compelled to share the moment with a suffering public.

Players were due to fly out on Sunday night or Monday, depending on available connections from Kinshasa. Possible club sanctions remain to be seen, though those who went are unlikely to regret it.

Source: L'Équipe