“Mwana Mboka” – Ezechiel Banzuzi set for first DR Congo appearance | OneFootball

“Mwana Mboka” – meaning “child of the country”. Those were the words Ezechiel Banzuzi used on social media to announce his decision. Our midfielder will now represent DR Congo, the country his family comes from, and has now been included in the senior squad for the first time.

The congratulations quickly came flooding in. Castello Lukeba, Ridle Baku, Brajan Gruda and Benjamin Henrichs all reacted to his Instagram post, as did former teammate Xavi Simons.

For the 21-year-old, however, the story behind his decision began much earlier.

“I spoke and thought about it a lot with my family. I’d actually already decided to play for Congo before the World Cup,” explained Banzuzi.

Family ties behind the decision

Ezechiel was born in the Netherlands and represented the country at various youth levels. But his connection to his family’s homeland has always remained strong.

“My family were really happy. They wanted me to play for Congo too and helped me make the decision.”

DR Congo’s World Cup campaign also reinforced his decision. The Leopards reached the knockout stages for the first time before narrowly losing 2-1 to England in the round of 32.

“I was impressed by how far they got. That definitely played a part in my decision as well. But I already knew before then that there was a lot of potential in this team.”

“Mwana Mboka” – child of the country

Ezechiel summed up what the decision means to him in two words: “Mwana Mboka”.

“It means that you come from that country and you don’t forget where you come from. That means a lot to me.”

Ezechiel received his first call-up to the DR Congo U23s back in March, although he initially continued to play for the Netherlands U21s. He has now been included in a Congolese senior squad for the first time.

Our midfielder has already spoken to national team head coach Sébastien Desabre on the phone and is now looking forward to his first few days with the Leopards.

“I was really happy to receive my first senior call-up. Now I want to bring my experience to the team and help however I can.”

Two qualifiers to start

Two important games await Ezechiel on his first senior call-up. DR Congo host Equatorial Guinea on 24th September before travelling to face Zimbabwe on 28th September.

Both matches are qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament will take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19th June to 17th July 2027.

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