Jorthy Mokio made his unofficial debut with the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday. The 18-year-old Ajax midfielder came on as a substitute in Johannesburg against Uganda, who won the match 2-0 against the Leopards.
Mokio started on the bench, but the national coach gave him the opportunity to play after halftime. The Ajax player is getting closer to his first official cap with the DRC, but he will have to wait a bit longer.
The midfielder made a definitive choice in favor of the DRC earlier this year after playing an official international match with Belgium. According to FIFA rules regarding the change of sporting nationality, Mokio will not be able to participate in an official match for his new country until 2028.
A friendly match allowed him to bypass this restriction. Mokio was able to play a few minutes with the DRC today and adapt to his new role within the national team. Against Uganda, he came on after the break while the Leopards were already trailing 2-0.
Uganda opened the scoring after just seven minutes through Bogere. Shortly after halftime, Kelvin Boateng made it 2-0. The DRC failed to come back, and Mokio ended his unofficial debut with a defeat.
