DR Congo Friendly Against Chile Cancelled Over Ebola Concerns

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s international friendly against Chile has been called off after Spanish authorities raised concerns over the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Central African nation.

The match had been scheduled for 9 June in La Linea de la Concepcion, a coastal city in Spain’s Cadiz province near the Gibraltar border.

Mayor Juan Franco signed a decree preventing the fixture from taking place, citing recommendations from the Andalusian regional health service and the municipality’s medical department. The move was described as a precautionary measure ahead of the World Cup.

“A report by the head of the mayoralty’s health service of La Linea advised categorically against hosting the match given the health risks which might arise,” Franco said.

La Linea, home to about 65,000 residents, had been selected as the venue as both countries stepped up preparations for the World Cup. However, concerns linked to the Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo prompted local authorities to intervene.

DR Congo are currently training in Belgium after abandoning plans to hold a pre-tournament camp in Kinshasa. Although all members of the squad play for clubs outside the country and have not recently travelled home, some support staff and supporters have arrived from DR Congo.

The Congolese side remain scheduled to face Denmark in another friendly in Liege on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the United States has introduced restrictions barring entry to non-American citizens who have been in DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days because of the outbreak.

The outbreak has been linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no vaccine currently exists. The World Health Organisation has warned that it could take up to nine months before a vaccine becomes available.

DR Congo are preparing for their first World Cup appearance since 1974. They will be based in Houston during the tournament and begin their Group K campaign against Portugal on 17 June before facing Colombia in Guadalajara and Uzbekistan in Atlanta.