Silas Katompa Mvumpa has received his first DR Congo call-up 15 months after admitting that he was playing under a false identity.
Then known as Silas Wamangituka, the forward had been voted as the Bundesliga rookie of the season in 2020-21 after scoring 13 goals in all competitions.
Mvumpa was in fact born on 6 October 1998, making him a year older than the documents he had been using as Wamangituka stated.
He had claimed he was put under pressure by a former representative and had been “constantly living in fear”.
Having started all of Stuttgart’s seven matches this season, new DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre has now named Mvumpa in the Leopards’ 28-man squad to face Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone in Morocco on 23 and 27 September respectively.
Desabre has also included a number of experienced players like Yoane Wissa of Brentford and Marseille team-mates Chancel Mbemba and Cedric Bakambu.
Former France youth international Arnaud Lusamba of Alanyaspor is also handed a maiden call-up.
Injury rules out Gael Kakuta while Marcel Tisserand and Christian Luyindama are also missing from the Morocco trip.
Domestic-based stars Baggio Siadi, Kinzumbi Philippe, Issaka Boka and Mika Miche have all been drafted in.
Frenchman Desabre took charge of the Leopards in August, five months after the two-time African champions suffered a 2022 World Cup play-off defeat by Morocco, losing 5-2 on aggregate.
The 46-year-old succeeded Argentine Hector Cuper, who was sacked in June after the Leopards lost their first two qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Desabre has previously managed club sides in Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt, and spent 18 months in charge of Uganda – including managing the Cranes at the 2019 Nations Cup.
DR Congo will not play another competitive game until March next year after September’s 2023 Nations Cup qualifiers were rescheduled.
DR Congo squad in full
Goalkeepers: Joel Kiassumbua (AC Bellinzona, Switzerland), Lionel Mpasi (Rodez, France), Baggio Siadi (TP Mazembe).
Defenders: Chadrack Isaka Boka (Saint Eloi Lupopo), Merveille Bokadi (Standard Liege, Belgium), Idumba Fasika (Cape Town City, South Africa), Henoc Inonga Baka (Simba, Tanzania), Gedeon Kalulu (Lorient, France), Arthur Masuaku (Besiktas, Turkey), Chancel Mbemba (Marseille, France), Dieumerci Amale (El Jadida, Morocco).
Midfielders: Samuel Bastien (Burnley, England), Theo Bongonda (Cadiz, Spain), Edo Kayembe (Watford, England), Neeskens Kebano (Fulham, England), Makabi Lilepo (Al Hilal, Sudan), Miche Mika (Saint Eloi Lupopo), Samuel Moutoussamy (Nantes, France), Fabrice Ngoma (Al Fehayheel, Kuwait), Yoane Wissa (Brentford, England).
Strikers: Chadrac Akolo (Saint Gallen, Switzerland), Cedric Bakambu (Marseille, France), Philippe Kinzumbi (TP Mazembe), Meshack Elia (Young Boys, Switzerland), Arnaud Lusamba (Antalyaspor, Turkey), Ben Malango (Qatar SC, Qatar), Jackson Muleka (Besiktas,Turkey), Silas Katompa Mvumpa (Stuttgart, Germany).
