At 32, Gaël Kakuta is one of the senior players of DR Congo, qualified for the round of 16 of CAN 2024. Against Egypt on Sunday, the playmaker will still have the opportunity to showcase his technique which gives him earned the nickname “Black Zidane” for so long. An indestructible Leopard who took his first international steps… with the Blues.
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He is certainly no stranger to DR Congo’s qualification for the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations. Gaël Kakuta, the playmaker of the Leopards, started in the three group matches and each time showcases his unparalleled technique to get the Congolese midfield out of pressure situations or to deliver precise passes.
The one who was voted man of the match after the match against Tanzania (0-0) did not shy away from his pleasure when discussing the current performance of the Leopards in Ivory Coast: “What is important is the qualification (in the eighth) and it is a good thing for our compatriots who, we know, supported us in this difficult adventure,” he declared on Canal+ Africa.
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“We had a difficult group with strong teams, but the hard work and support of our colleagues allowed us to get through it,” added the Congolese attacking midfielder. Gaël Kakuta also had a few words for his coach, Frenchman Sébastien Desabre: “Since the coach arrived (in the summer of 2022), there has been a lot of work that has been done. As you can see , today it is the image of another Congo that we give, I am proud of my teammates.”
Winding club course
At 32 years old, the Leopard seems fulfilled in his executive role with the DR Congo. A form of achievement for a player whose professional career has not, however, been a long, quiet river since its beginnings.
Coming from the RC Lens training center and presented as a future nugget, Gaël Kakuta secretly left the Sang et Or at the age of 16 to join Chelsea. At the time, in 2008, he gave in to the siren song of the Blues who hired him in defiance of all regulations concerning transfers of minors.
Presented as a rough diamond, quickly nicknamed “Black Zidane” for his swaying dribbles, Gaël Kakuta ultimately struggles to settle in a club. A football globetrotter, he passed through no less than 12 clubs – in Spain, England and… China – in a little over a decade.
A tortuous journey during which the footballer fails to establish himself in the long term, but a life journey which allowed him to grow, as he explained to L’Équipe in 2020: “All these trips allowed me to speak Spanish, English, to understand Italian and to have a basis in Dutch. In China, it toughened me up. I took hits. The referee never whistled. Now, I have the reflex to continue my actions. In England, you have to be able to repeat efforts. In Spain, I learned not to rush my actions.”
Gaël Kakuta finally found stability in the North of France, first in Amiens (in 2017-2018 then 2019-2020) then in his training club, in Lens (2020-2022) – where he won the Marc- Vivien Foé 2021 for her high-flying season with the Sang et Or – before finally returning… to Amiens from 2022, this time for a four-year contract.
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First steps with the Bleuets… then a late selection with the DR Congo
As for his international career, Gaël Kakuta first learned his lessons with the young people of the French team: from U17 to U20, he played more than 30 matches with the Bleuets and distinguished himself as one of the best players of his generation. In 2010, he even won the title of U19 European champion, where he was voted best player of the tournament. Among his teammates, Antoine Griezmann, Alexandre Lacazette and Cédric Bakambu… who is currently the leading striker of the DR Congo.
In 2011, the then Leopards coach, Claude Le Roy, summoned him for the first time to join the Congolese ranks. But Gaël Kakuta declines, still thinking he could be called up to the French team – which will not happen. Time passes, and in 2016, the playmaker finally gave in to the sirens of DR Congo. He made his first selection in March 2017 during a friendly match against Kenya – where he scored from a free kick.
A choice that he does not regret, as he explained to Téléfoot at the start of 2021: “When I arrived in Seville, I thought it was the right time to play with the France team, but after the way the Things happened there, the way I left there, I told myself that I needed an international experience. I preferred my country of origin and I don’t regret my decision at all.”
And the Congolese international continues: “Every time I set foot in DR Congo, it’s crazy. In the country, people suffer a lot. Football allows them to forget for 90 minutes everything that’s happening there -low. It’s a big responsibility for us because the Congolese count on us a lot.”
Since then, Gaël Kakuta has made 19 caps with the Leopards, scoring three goals. For his 20th match with DR Congo, he will try to secure a ticket for the quarter-finals of CAN 2024 against Egypt.
