MADRID – A pre-World Cup friendly match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile scheduled to take place in the Spanish coastal city of La Linea de la Concepcion has been blocked by local authorities over public health fears tied to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in central Africa, leaving the Congolese national team scrambling to rearrange the warm-up fixture ahead of their first World Cup appearance in nearly half a century. Local government officials in La Linea confirmed Tuesday that they had formally rejected authorization for the June match, citing unacceptable public health risks linked to the regional Ebola epidemic that has spread across eastern DR Congo and neighboring Uganda. The outbreak, caused by a rare strain of the Ebola virus, was designated a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization weeks ago, prompting widespread precautionary measures across global sporting and political circles.
In response to the cancellation, DR Congo’s national soccer federation announced it has opened active discussions with the Royal Spanish Football Federation and global governing bodies to identify an alternative host for the planned warm-up match, with the federation confirming it remains committed to holding the fixture ahead of the tournament.
Notably, the entire Congolese squad and its French head coach Sébastien Desabre are currently based outside of DR Congo, with the vast majority of players competing for club sides across France. The team was already in Europe this week for a pre-tournament warm-up against Denmark in Liege, Belgium, Wednesday, as they wrap up preparation ahead of the World Cup in North America.
The Ebola outbreak has already forced major changes to DR Congo’s pre-World Cup planning: the federation previously scrapped a three-day pre-departure training camp in the capital Kinshasa, along with a planned public fan farewell event, to limit potential exposure for the squad amid the ongoing public health crisis in the eastern region of the country.
Global soccer governing body FIFA has confirmed it is closely monitoring the situation, maintaining constant communication with Congolese federation officials to ensure the squad follows all updated medical and security guidance to mitigate any health risks.
DR Congo, which will compete under Group K at this year’s World Cup, is set to kick off its tournament campaign against Portugal in Houston on June 17. The team, nicknamed The Leopards, will then face Colombia in Guadalajara on June 23, before wrapping up group stage play against Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27. This marks the country’s first qualification for the World Cup since 1974, when it competed under the former name Zaire. The historic qualification sparked widespread jubilation across the nation, which has struggled with decades of political instability and armed conflict. For a country that has faced persistent hardship, the 2024 World Cup berth represents a rare moment of national unity and global recognition.