Spain Bans DR Congo Teams World Cup Warm-Up Due to Ebola Fears

Spanish Mayor Cancels Pre-World Cup Match Due to Ebola Concerns

The mayor of La Linea de la Concepcion in southern Spain has cancelled a pre-World Cup friendly match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile due to health concerns related to an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the African country. According to Juan Franco, the mayor, the decision was made as a precautionary measure following recommendations from the Andalusia regional government’s health service.

Franco stated that the head of the municipality’s medical service had advised against hosting the match, citing potential health risks. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been affected by an Ebola outbreak since mid-May, and US authorities have imposed protocols requiring the team to isolate for 21 days before entering the United States for the World Cup.

The African nation’s football federation has confirmed that the team is compliant with host nation protocols. However, due to the health concerns, the match scheduled for June 9 in La Linea de la Concepcion has been cancelled. The Democratic Republic of Congo will instead play a friendly against Denmark in Liege, Belgium on Wednesday.

The team had previously cancelled a planned pre-World Cup training camp at home and was based in Belgium due to the outbreak. DR Congo’s players plan to be based in Houston, Texas during the tournament, where they will play their first Group K match on June 17 against Portugal.

Source: Al Jazeera