The Democratic Republic of Congo has canceled its pre-World Cup friendly match against Chile, which was scheduled to take place in Spain, due to health concerns stemming from the Ebola outbreak in their home country.
The match was set for June 9 in La Línea de la Concepción, a town in southern Spain near the Gibraltar border, at a stadium with a capacity of 10,000 spectators.
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Juan Franco, the mayor of La Línea, confirmed on Tuesday that he had to postpone the match following guidance from the local health authorities. “I’ve signed the decree prohibiting the match between DR Congo and Chile,” Franco stated.
“The head of the health service has recommended against hosting the match due to the potential health risks involved,” he added.
According to the Spanish news agency EFE, Chile requested that the match proceed without spectators.
This World Cup marks DR Congo’s first appearance since 1974, when they competed as Zaire, but their preparations have been significantly affected by the Ebola situation back home.
Last month, the team had to cancel a three-day training camp and a planned farewell event for fans in Kinshasa due to the outbreak in eastern Congo.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified it as a public health emergency of international concern. As of May 27, the WHO reported 906 suspected cases and 223 fatalities linked to a rare strain of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, which has also affected Uganda.
After abandoning their training plans in DR Congo, the national team has shifted their preparations to Belgium, where they are set to face Denmark in Liège on Wednesday.
Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, spoke to ESPN last month, stressing the importance of the team isolating for 21 days to ensure they could travel to the U.S. for the tournament.
Giuliani stated that the U.S. government had informed FIFA, the Congolese national team, and the Congolese authorities about the need to maintain a secure environment in Belgium. “We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should keep their bubble intact for 21 days before coming to Houston on June 11,” he said. “Failure to do so risks their ability to travel to the United States.”
The World Cup is set to kick off on June 11 in North America, with DR Congo’s first match taking place in Houston on June 17 against Portugal.
Following that, they will compete against Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 24, and face Uzbekistan in Atlanta, U.S., on June 28.