The Congo national football team has canceled a three-day training camp in preparation for the World Cup, along with a planned farewell event for fans in Kinshasa, due to an Ebola outbreak in the country’s eastern region.
The team will conduct its preparations elsewhere following the emergence of a rare strain of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, which has resulted in over 130 fatalities and nearly 600 suspected cases.
The World Health Organization has classified this situation as a public health emergency of international concern.
Denmark in Liège, Belgium, on June 3, and Chile in southern Spain on June 9, with both matches expected to proceed as scheduled, according to team spokesperson Jerry Kalemo in a statement to The Associated Press.
“Our preparation included three stages: the first in Kinshasa to bid farewell to fans, followed by matches in Belgium and Spain. Only the Kinshasa stage has been canceled,” Kalemo explained.
Most of the Congolese players and their French coach, Sébastien Desabre, are currently based outside the country, primarily in France.
Some team staff members currently based in Congo are “departing within the next few hours,” Kalemo added.
FIFA has released a statement indicating that it is closely monitoring the Ebola outbreak and maintaining communication with the Congolese Football Association to ensure the team is informed about all pertinent medical and security guidance.
This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a ban on entry for all foreign nationals who have been in Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past three weeks. This travel restriction will remain in place for 30 days.
According to a U.S. official, the Congolese World Cup team will not be impacted by this entry ban, as the players have been training in Europe for several weeks. Members of the team, coaches, and staff who haven’t returned to Congo in the last three weeks will not face the restrictions, as per the anonymous official who disclosed this information.
However, those members of the Congolese delegation who do return to Congo during the 21-day period will be subject to quarantine protocols similar to those for U.S. citizens coming back from affected countries. This exception does not apply to Congolese fans wishing to attend the World Cup.
The White House’s World Cup task force, part of the Department of Homeland Security, is “working closely” with various agencies on health and security issues, and is “actively monitoring” the Ebola situation.
Congo, having qualified for the World Cup after a playoff victory in Mexico, has been placed in Group K. Their opening match will be against Portugal in Houston on June 17.
The Leopards will then compete against Colombia in Guadalajara on June 23 and against Uzbekistan in Atlanta for their final group match on June 27.
This marks Congo’s first World Cup qualification since 1974, when the nation was known as Zaire, leading to widespread celebrations across a country long affected by conflict.