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Page last updated at 17:41 GMT, Friday, 7 August 2009 18:41 UK

Nonda's DR Congo banishment ends

By Patrice Citera
BBC Sport, Kinshasa

Shabani Nonda
Nonda has been reinstated in the squad against Neveu's wishes

DR Congo coach Patrice Neveu has reversed his decision to indefinitely suspend striker Shabani Nonda from the Leopards squad, after intervention from the country's football authorities.

Neveu said that Nonda would not play for as long as he is in charge of the team, after DR Congo were eliminated from the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

But Nonda has been named in the squad for a friendly against Ivory Coast in France on 12 August.

Neveu told BBC Sport that he did not want to name Nonda in the 22-man squad, but that he did so following a directive from the DR Congo's football federation.

"Shabani Nonda was not in my plans for our game with Ivory Coast next week," Neveu said.

"But I changed my mind after talks with football federation authorities who asked me to include him in our squad."

"I know Shabani Nonda is a good player and key for the team but I have the right to suspend any player that I feel doesn't abide by my vision.

"I won't hesitate to suspend him again in the future if I feel I need to do so for the sake of improving my squad."

Nonda, who has been a key member of the side for many years, scored a hat-trick on Thursday for Turkish club Galatasary in a Europa Cup qualifier.

He clashed with Neveu last year, calling for the French coach to resign after the Leopards lost a qualifier against Malawi which Nonda had been dropped for, and which eliminated them from the 2010 race.

Neveu has also named in the squad goalkeeper Nkela Nkatu, who absconded four years ago in France during preparations for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.

At the time Nkatu was playing in DR Congo's domestic league, but he is now with a club in Belgium's second division.



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see also
Shabani Nonda moves to Galatasary
31 Aug 07 |  African
Neveu rejects call to resign
23 Oct 08 |  African


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