Ipswich Town: Axel Tuanzebe receives DR Congo call-up
Ipswich Town defender Axel Tuanzebe is set to earn his first senior international cap after being called up by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The former Manchester United defender joined the Blues in September 2023, having had stints at Aston Villa, Napoli and Stoke City before moving to Suffolk on a free transfer.
Due to his injury history, he took a while to get going at Portman Road, making his debutin a Carabao Cup defeat at home to Fulham on November 1st. However, he soon became a crucial part of the team, ending the campaign as their first-choice right-back.
Tuanzebe had featured for England from under-19’s to under 21’s, making 12 appearances in total. However, he was pre-called up by the DR Congo national team for the 2023 African Cup of Nations, albeit that he didn’t make the final cut.
He’s now been included in their squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Senegal (8pm BST on Thursday, June 6th) and Togo (5pm BST on Sunday, June 9th).
Watford’s Edo Kayembe and West Brom’s Grady Diangana have also been named in the squad, as has Brentford forward Yoane Wissa.
Sebastien Desabre’s men currently sit second in Group B, having beaten Mauritania and lost to Sudan.
Tuanzebe initially joined Ipswich on a one-year deal, meaning that his contract is set to expire this summer. However, the club holds the option to extend it for a further 12 months, which could see him feature in the Premier League for the first time since his loan spell at Villa Park.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has previously admitted that he could “see a future” for himself at Manchester United amid their interest in possibly bringing him back to Old Trafford.
“It’s a fantastic club to work for,” said McKenna, speaking in December 2021. “I was happy there.
