Oxford United Awaits Fitness Update on Peter Kioso Following DR Congo Debut

Oxford United is awaiting an update on the fitness status of Peter Kioso, who exited his international debut for the DR Congo at half-time on Tuesday. The right-back was substituted during the break while the Leopards were trailing Ethiopia 1-0. Following the match, coach Sebastien Desabre stated that Kioso “had been unwell” and had returned to the team hotel prior to the game’s conclusion. The DR Congo ultimately lost the match 2-1 in stoppage-time, despite having already secured qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in Morocco in December 2025. Kioso had initially been listed as a standby player for the previous month’s two matches against Tanzania. He was subsequently promoted to the main squad after Ipswich defender Axel Tuanzebe sustained an injury. However, Kioso did not feature in either of those games, nor in a 1-0 defeat to Guinea last week. Meanwhile, Oxford United team-mate Mark Harris started as a forward for Wales, playing 65 minutes in their 4-1 Nations League victory over Iceland. This result guaranteed Wales’ promotion to the top tier of the competition.