page_title: Gaël Kakuta
section_title: International career
hierarchical_section_title: Gaël Kakuta / International career
caption_attribution_description: English: Gaël Kakuta, midfielder of the French U21 national team. Qualifier against Kazakhstan in Clermont-Ferrand. Français&#160;: Gaël Kakuta, milieu de terrain de l'équipe de France U21. Match qualificatif contre le Kazakhstan à Clermont-Ferrand.
context_page_description: Gaël Romeo Kakuta Mambenga is a professional footballer who plays as a left winger for French club RC Lens on loan from Amiens SC and the DR Congo national football team.
  A youth product of Lens, he moved to Chelsea in 2007 in a controversial transfer. Rarely used at Chelsea, he was loaned to six teams in five countries before leaving for Sevilla upon the expiration of his contract in 2015.
  He was a French youth international and represented the nation at every age group from under-16 to under-21 levels, before switching allegiance to the DR Congo national football team in 2017.
context_section_description: Kakuta is a French youth international and has represented his country at all levels. He has scored a total of 15 goals in 45 matches from under-16 level up to the under-20 level. With the under-16 team, he scored on his debut in a 1–1 draw against the Republic of Ireland. In the Tournoi de Val-de-Marne, Kakuta netted two goals in the competition against Italy and Portugal. On 15 March 2007, he was one of five players who scored a goal in the team's 5–0 thrashing of Poland in Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf. Kakuta finished the under-16 campaign making 12 appearances and converting five goals.
  With the under-17 team, Kakuta was a regular selection of coach Francis Smerecki. He made debut with the team on 4 October 2007 in a 1–1 draw against Switzerland. In qualification for the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, Kakuta scored a goal in the team's 6–0 thrashing of Albania in the first qualifying round. In the Elite Round, he was clinical in the team's final group stage match against Russia scoring a double in a much-needed 3–1 victory. The win assured the team a place in the UEFA-sanctioned tournament. In the tournament, he went scoreless, but contributed to the team's finals appearance converting the 3rd penalty for France in their 4–3 penalty shootout victory over Turkey in the semi-finals. In the final, France were defeated 4–0 by Spain. With the under-18 team, Kakuta only made 5 appearances, but scored three goals, which included a brace against the Republic of Ireland in the Tournio de Limoges and the lone goal in the team's 1–0 win over Turkey in a match that was played at the Stade Mayol.
  Despite the FIFA investigation into his transfer, on 2 September 2009, Kakuta was selected to the under-19 squad, for the first time, to participate in the 2009 edition of the Sendaï Cup, held in Japan. In the opening match against the hosts, he scored two goals. At the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, which France hosted, Kakuta scored the opening goal in the team's opening group stage match against the Netherlands. France won the match 4–1. Kakuta also scored against Croatia in the semi-finals. The goal drew the match at 1–1 and France went on to win 2–1. In the final, France came from behind against Spain to win the title 2–1 with Kakuta providing the assist for the winner scored by Alexandre Lacazette. On 2 August 2010, Kakuta was awarded the Golden Player award for his performances at the tournament.
  Due to France's victory at the UEFA Under-19 championship, the nation qualified for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which merited under-20 team appearances for Kakuta. He made his debut with the team on 7 October 2010 in a friendly match against Portugal, which ended 3–3. Kakuta, subsequently, appeared in three more matches with the team during the 2010–11 campaign and, on 10 June 2011, was named to the 21-man squad to participate in the U-20 World Cup. He made his debut in the competition on 30 July 2011 in the team's 4–1 defeat to the hosts Colombia.
  Kakuta switched to the DR Congo national football team in 2017, and made his debut in a friendly 2–1 loss against Kenya, wherein he scored the only goal for DR Congo.
caption: Kakuta playing for France Under-21 in 2011
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