DR Congo have been compelled to cancel a pre-World Cup training camp amid mounting Ebola concerns within the country. The central African nation are set to make their first tournament appearance since 1974 this summer.
Preparations are already in full swing, with manager Sébastien Desabre having already announced his 26-man squad ahead of travelling to the USA, Canada and Mexico.
However, their pre-tournament preparations have been disrupted by a worsening Ebola outbreak in the country. The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” but confirmed it had not reached pandemic level.
DR Congo have sought to ease concerns following the cancellation of a pre-tournament training camp in the capital Kinshasa, where they had been due to meet supporters. The African nation had been scheduled to face Denmark and Spain following the camp.
DR Congo spokesperson Jerry Kalemo has confirmed that those matches will still go ahead, with the camp having been relocated to Belgium instead.
“There were three stages of preparation: In Kinshasa to say goodbye to the public, Belgium and Spain with two friendly matches against Denmark in Liege and Chile in Spain, and the third stage from June 11 in Houston, United States. Only one stage was canceled – the one in Kinshasa,” Kalemo said.
FIFA has also weighed in on the unfolding situation, stating that “it is aware of and monitoring the situation regarding an Ebola outbreak and is in close communication with the DRC Football Association to ensure that the team are made aware of all medical and security guidance.”
In a bid to curb the spread of cases, the US Government has prohibited all non-Americans who have visited the DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days from entering the country.
Nevertheless, neither the players nor manager Desabre are based in DR Congo itself, meaning they will remain unaffected by the travel restrictions now that the training camp has officially been called off.
The WHO has reported that 139 people are believed to have died from 600 suspected cases, with the eastern Ituri province identified as the likely epicentre of the latest outbreak. The crisis has been triggered by a rare strain of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, for which no vaccine currently exists.
DR Congo have been placed in Group K of the World Cup and are scheduled to open their campaign against Portugal, before also taking on Colombia and Uzbekistan.