Nonda carries Congolese hopes

KINSHASA (Reuters) -- Democratic Republic of Congo striker Shabani Nonda was not born in the giant central African country but will carry most of its hopes at this month's African Nations Cup finals in Mali.

A teenage refugee from the ethnic conflict in Burundi, Nonda has made it to the top in France with Monaco the hard way and in a circuitous route that has taken him from his home in Bujumbura to Tanzania, South Africa, Switzerland and now France.

He spurned approaches to play for Burundi, where he was born, and two years ago debuted for the Congolese, playing for the land of his father.

Nonda made his mark in Europe by being named as the best player in the Swiss league and finishing as the league's leading scorer at the end of the 1997-98 season.

But the inevitable move from FC Zurich was not to one of the high profile clubs which courted his signature, but instead to unfashionable French provincial side Rennes, where his impact quickly saw the French media dub him the "new George Weah."

His international debut came in a 9-1 drubbing of Djibouti in the preliminary round of the World Cup qualifiers but he has only since added two more caps, preferring to make his mark at Monaco.

 

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