Six months, and a complete change of mind
In March he said no. Ezechiel Banzuzi turned down a first call-up from DR Congo and stayed with the Netherlands Under-21s, where he has five caps. On Tuesday morning Dutch outlet VI reported the opposite: the RB Leipzig midfielder, 21, has chosen the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country his parents left.
The Congolese federation has said nothing yet.
Born in Mook, raised in the Dutch system, Banzuzi would be walking away from the country that made him a footballer.
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A Leipzig starter at 21
NAC Breda first, then OH Leuven, then Germany. The move to Leipzig is the one that changed his trajectory. He started both of the club’s opening Bundesliga fixtures this season and has worked his way into the rotation rather than waiting for an opening.
His first goal came in the German Cup. A goal and an assist against Eintracht Trier, beaten 6-0 by the Saxony club.
Legs, line-breaking passes, the ability to fill three or four different midfield roles without looking out of place. That combination is why two national teams wanted him.
Another one the Dutch could not keep
DR Congo ran a decent World Cup, going out to England in the round of 16, and the federation has been trading on that ever since when it calls dual nationals. African sides have made an industry of it.
The Netherlands keep losing these arguments. Jorthy Mokio went to Belgium not long ago. Now Banzuzi. The Dutch pool is deep enough to absorb it, which is exactly why everyone else keeps fishing in it.
Paperwork is the last obstacle. Nothing binds Banzuzi to the Leopards until he plays a competitive match for them.
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