West Ham United fans saw Aaron Wan-Bissaka make history during the international break, making the absence from domestic football all the more worthwhile.
Nuno Espirito Santo will relish the fact that the right-back, along with a number of West Ham players, represented their countries, but will hope they all return to London without any injury issues.
Wan-Bissaka, who played the full 90 minutes in the 3-2 win against Burnley, had a busy international break but appears to have returned unscathed.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka makes history as DR Congo win CAF World Cup play-off final
Since his debut for DR Congo in September, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been a mainstay for his national side.
The African side deploy a back-four system and he has been the regular right-back for Sebastien Desabre’s side.
Since his debut, Congo have won five out of their six games, a remarkable improvement in their form.
That improvement has seen them within touching distance of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
They beat Nigeria on penalties in the CAF World Cup play-off final to book a spot in the next round of the qualifiers.
DRC have not qualified for a World Cup since 1974 and they could make that happen if they see off teams from four other confederations to take one of the two outstanding spots in March.
Wan-Bissaka decision to represent DR Congo has paid off
A few years ago, it seemed like Wan-Bissaka would be a mainstay in the England squad.
He shone at Crystal Palace, earned himself a big-money move to Manchester United and featured for the England Under-20s and Under-21s.
In 2019, he even asserted a desire to represent the Three Lions and was handed a senior call-up ahead of the 2020 EURO qualifiers.
However, he had to pull out due to an injury and fell in the pecking order to the likes of Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James.
He knew that if he wanted to play in the World Cup, it would mean switching nationalities, and FIFA approved his decision in August.
It remains to be seen if he can guide his team to the promised land ahead of the 2026 summer.
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