RB Leipzig's Ezechiel Banzuzi is still waiting for his international debut for Congo. FIFA has not yet granted the necessary clearance for the 21-year-old, blocking his participation in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Banzuzi announced his switch from Dutch youth teams to the Congolese federation in early September. He was warmly welcomed by fans upon arrival and has been training with the national squad since last Monday. However, he was not allowed to play in Congo's 2-0 win over Equatorial Guinea. The clearance paperwork has dragged on unexpectedly and could not be completed over the weekend either. "Only final formalities remain to be clarified," it is stated. The bureaucracy continues to hold up the Leipzig player.
The attacker traveled with the team to Zimbabwe for the second qualifier on Monday at 6 p.m. Banzuzi is expected to watch this match from the sidelines as well. He had already turned down an initial offer from the Congolese U23s back in March.
For RB Leipzig, Banzuzi is an important player this season. The club currently sits 9th in the Bundesliga with 6 points from 4 games. Their last five results read LWLLW. Banzuzi provided an assist in the 5-0 home win over Hamburger SV.
Meanwhile, a second RB Leipzig player is also hoping for his first international cap. Goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt was on the bench for Belgium's 2-0 win in Italy on Friday. It is uncertain whether the 24-year-old will make his debut in the match against France on Monday at 8:45 p.m. Vandevoordt has been called up 14 times but has yet to make an appearance.
More detail at Tribuna.com
