Rocky road to international stage worth it for world traveller Bushiri

Rocky Bushiri knows he’s living out an international dream with its roots several generations in the making.

If that means coping with the pressure of playing in front of 95,000 fans at the magnificently named Stade des Martyrs de la Pentecote, he can cope with that.

The Hibs central defender, celebrating another call-up by the Democratic Republic of the Congo for their World Cup qualifiers against Mauritania and Sudan, was born and raised in Belgium – and even played for the Red Devils up to Under-21 level.

But Congolese parents – not to mention a grandfather, now sadly passed, who was the African nation’s official ambassador to Belgium – ensured he was always open to representing his ancestral homeland.

Admitting that the family ties make pulling on that DRC jersey a very special feeling, Bushiri said: “Yeah, yeah, 100%. Especially when the stadiums have 95,000. That is when you can talk about pressure!

“It is really, really hard but it is a really good feeling. Especially in countries in Africa and in Congo, poverty is high so all they’ve got is watching a football game and that puts loads of emotions in people.

“I didn’t play in that one (with 95,000 in attendance). But just to be there and be part of everything is something big.

“You have the little boys running alongside the bus from the hotel to the pitch and then, during the game, it never stops. It is always loud and it’s good.

“It is a dream, when you start playing football, to be in the national team and be able to represent your country. It means a lot.

“In the world there are a lot of Congolese players and especially centre backs, so to be here at Hibs and to be called up is something big.

“I enjoy going there. It makes me better as a player as well because you play with players who come from Besiktas, Galatasaray, different big clubs - and I steal with my eyes.

“Let’s say, Chancel Mbemba, who plays at Marseilles and was the best centre back in France last season, so if you can take advice and see with your own eyes and bring all that back to Hibs then that can also help the team grow. “

With the DRC already qualified for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, Bushiri – expected to start as Hibs take on St Mirren in Paisley tonight – has one eye on featuring in a major tournament.

But he insisted: “Yeah, I hope to be part of the squad - but first, step by step, let’s do well at Hibs.

“Let’s reach all our goals and stay focused and then my performance will tell me if I can be part of this next camp and the World Cup qualifiers. Also it is something very important for the nation so we will try to reach that.”

Laughing off the burden of travelling to Africa for every game, home or away, Bushiri said: “But what about Boyley (Martin Boyle) and Lewis Miller travelling all the way to Australia?

“It is hard of course. It is non-stop for us. We go away on long flights but then we come back.

“So one camp in Congo is 12 hours and then we go to Egypt for another game and then back to Edinburgh - but these are the experiences I will look back on later, when I am retired. So let’s take it as a positive.

“I played for Belgium as a youth and in the Under-21s but my family, my parents, most of my family, really, are attached to Congo and also, let’s be honest, there is a better opportunity for me to create a name for myself in Congo than in Belgium. There it is more difficult.

“Also I was happy with the project with the new manager of the national team.”

Asked how his grandfather would feel about watching him play for the DRC, Bushiri said: “He would be very happy because my grandad’s wish was to die in Congo.

“He made it back to Congo and that is where he died so it is something big for my parents as well. They were born and raised in Congo, so it is a big thing for them as well. The ambience there is unbelievable.”