Congo’s World Cup Preparations Adjusted Due to Ebola Outbreak

The Congo national football team canceled a planned three-day training camp in Kinshasa due to an Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country. The camp was also intended as a farewell event with fans before the World Cup. The team will now conduct its preparations at another location.

This decision follows a emergence of a rare strain of Ebola, known as Bundibugyo, which is suspected to have resulted in over 130 deaths and at least 600 suspected cases. The World Health Organization has classified it as a public health emergency of international concern.

Congo’s World Cup preparation includes matches against Denmark in Liege, Belgium on June 3, and Chile in southern Spain on June 9. According to team spokesperson Jerry Kalemo, these matches will proceed as scheduled.

“There were three preparation stages: in Kinshasa for a public farewell; in Belgium and Spain for friendlies against Denmark and Chile; and the final stage starting on June 11 in Houston, USA. Only the Kinshasa stage was canceled,” said Kalemo.

The team, comprising players residing mainly outside Congo, and their French coach, Sébastien Desabre, won’t be directly impacted by US entry bans. US officials stated that those training in Europe are exempt from the ban since they haven’t been in Congo for the last three weeks.

FIFA issued a statement confirming its awareness and close monitoring of the Ebola situation. It assured communication with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Football Association to keep the team informed about health and safety guidelines.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a ban on foreign nationals entering from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan within the last three weeks, to remain for 30 days. However, this ban doesn’t affect Congo’s World Cup team due to their European training.

Delegation members who did return to Congo would face the same quarantine requirements as US citizens coming from affected countries. This exception doesn’t extend to Congolese fans wishing to attend the World Cup.

The White House World Cup task force coordinates with various agencies to manage health and safety concerns. It monitors the outbreak closely as Congo, which secured its World Cup spot after a playoff tournament in Mexico, is in Group K. They are set to face Portugal on June 17 in Houston, Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, and Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta during the group stage.

This marks Congo’s first World Cup qualification since 1974, when it was known as Zaire, sparking celebrations across a nation that has faced decades of conflict.