Sunderland completed Jules Ahoka’s signing from Royal Antwerp in the summer window after observing him closely in August.
Journalist Darius Tshibangu revealed this detail while explaining the Sunderland player’s rise with his country.
The 20-year-old is a product of AC Normands and left the Congolese club to join Royal Antwerp in September 2025. He initially started with the Belgian club’s reserves before making his way into their first team in May.
Towards the end of last season, he made two appearances and operated as a centre-back. In August, new Royal Antwerp manager Marvin Compper started him in his preferred role as a defensive midfielder.
Ahoka played every minute in the first two league matches and assisted Michael Frey’s opening goal in the 2-1 win over SK Beveren. The second was in the 3-0 Jupiler Pro win over KV Kortrijk.
Manager regrets sale to Sunderland
On August 24th, the defensive midfielder left Royal Antwerp and completed a permanent move to the Stadium of Light. The Belgian club’s manager, Marvin Compper, expressed his disappointment over losing him to Sunderland.
He said: “He is growing every day. Physically he is very strong, but he is also getting better and better on the pitch. He can become more than just a substitute; he can even become a key player.”
Jules Ahoka made his Sunderland debut in their 1-0 EFL Cup win over Hull City. Régis Le Bris has left him on the bench for the league and the Europa League matches.
| Every Sunderland signing 26/27 | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Malick Fofana | Lyon | £26m |
| Dayann Méthalie | Toulouse | £24m |
| Jules Ahoka | Royal Antwerp | £8.6m |
| Juan Riquelme Angulo | Independiente del Valle | £5m |
| Kevin Danso | Tottenham Hotspur | Loan |
| Thomas Meunier | Lille | Free Transfer |
Bright future for Sunderland summer signing
Leopard Foot journalist Darius Tshibangu analyses the player’s rise with DR Congo U23, and Foot RDC have relayed his comments.
Tshibangu backed him to make his senior debut. When explaining this, he revealed what convinced Sunderland to sign Jules Ahoka.
“He is the boss of [DR Congo U23 manager] Guy Bukasa’s midfield. With his technical ability, his capacity to dictate play, and his work rate, Ahoka confirms that he has the qualities to have a great career,” he said.
“Among the U23s, Ahoka is certainly one of those knocking most loudly on the door of the senior national team.”
“His rise since arriving in Europe is particularly impressive. Two league appearances with Antwerp this season were enough to convince Sunderland to invest €10m.”
Marvin Comppe and the journalist’s comments indicate the Black Cats made the right decision to sign the player. It’s now down to him to back it up with impressive displays on the pitch.
