DR Congo will take part in play-off matches in November as part of the World Cup qualification process. Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa missed their most recent international games through injury, but could be fit enough to feature next month.
00:00Johan Wiss's return to action has been something that's dominated New Guest United for, well, the last couple of months, really, ever since he joined on deadline day, of course.
00:09At that time, everyone assumed that his debut would come against Wolves, just less than two weeks after he joined.
00:15But, of course, an injury whilst on international duty back in September with DR Congo has knocked that return date back.
00:22Now, initially, it was hoped he'd come back after this international break.
00:25Eddie Howe admitted earlier this month that it would be actually a couple more weeks and maybe just before the next international break.
00:31So, we're looking around the time when New Guest United play athletic club in the Champions League and then they play against Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday, 9th of November.
00:40So, there's sort of the date ranges Johan Wiss could be back in action.
00:44Now, what a weird coincidence it would be for Wiss to come back and make his debut for New Guest United against Brentford.
00:52If that doesn't happen, if he doesn't make his debut in that game, then it's likely it'll come after the international break when they face Manchester City at home.
01:00But in between then, DR Congo have one potentially really big match and potentially two really big matches as well.
01:07So, it'll be really interesting to see whether, first, if Wiss returns before the international break, whether he's then joined DR Congo on international duty, whether he stays at home.
01:17You know, there was reports from Sky Sports the other week suggesting that his preference would be to get fit for New Guest United.
01:24Of course, they paid a lot of money for him. He's got opportunities to play in the Champions League, which he hasn't had in his career so far.
01:30But as I said, DR Congo, because of their results in the African qualifying stage for the World Cup next summer, they finished second in their group.
01:38They were part of the four best runners-up in all of Africa, which means they play a playoff match in November against what my crude math suggests will be Cameroon.
01:49If DR Congo win that, then three days after that, they'll play a final.
01:53So, that's a semi-final. They'll play a final against the winner of Nigeria v Gabon.
01:57And then the winner of that will go into an inter-confederation playoff match in March against either a team from Asia, North or South America or Oceania to, you know, for a place in the World Cup.
02:11So, DR Congo have some really, really important games coming up, especially in November international break.
02:15And you can't begrudge someone like Johan Visser wanting to play for his country and giving them the opportunity to play in the World Cup.
02:22That opportunity doesn't come around too often, especially to someone who's 29.
02:26You know, by the time the next World Cup rocks around, he'll be 33.
02:30Will he still be on the international stage in the thoughts of his manager? I'm not sure.
02:35So, you can see why Visser would want to play in that game in November against, who I assume, my masters, again, as my master suggests, would be Cameroon.
02:46But for Newcastle United, they don't want to lose their £55 million striker to another injury.
02:50They certainly don't want to risk him playing more football than he needs to.
02:53They'll want to manage his recovery and rehabilitation back into the first team on their own.
02:58You know, Visser hasn't played football since May.
03:00He trained a little bit with Brentford, sorry, at the end of August, but didn't play in any of their pre-season games.
03:07So, yeah, it's going to be really all going on for Newcastle United and the play out of balance.
03:12Diolk Ongo could, of course, not call him up.
03:15And then Visser would then, you know, have a couple of, I say, a couple of months.
03:19The Afghans, obviously, in December to come.
03:22So, he'll have a couple of months to recover, then go with the Afghans and then potentially that huge gain if they get that far in March.
03:27So, it's a really interesting one.
03:29And I think what will be really interesting is whether he makes his return to action before the next international break.
03:34If that happens, then I think Newcastle United's cards of not letting him go on international duty sort of reduce their hand isn't as powerful.
03:42But if he doesn't return, then I wouldn't expect him to go on international duty.
03:45Of course, Visser can, you know, if he's called up.
03:48Newcastle are sort of powerless to resist him getting called up.
03:53And, of course, the idea that they can't go to Manjean and use him and Visser as much as he wants.
03:57So, it'll be really interesting to want to keep an eye on.
03:59But for Newcastle United, I think the main thing is if he returns for the international break,
04:02then he might end up playing international football in November.
04:05And, of course, Newcastle, I would say, don't want that.
04:08Newcastle want to keep him at the club as much as possible.
04:10And Visser now has a choice to make whether he wants to represent his nation or make sure he stays for Newcastle.
04:15So, it's going to be really interesting what happens over the next couple of months regarding that situation.
04:19And, of course, the best way you can stay up to date with all the latest Newcastle United news, updates, reaction from all the games that are coming up ahead of a really busy period for the club is with the Shields Gazette.
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