Congo cancels World Cup preparation camp due to Ebola outbreak

Staff Report: PNN
Due to an outbreak of the Ebola virus, the Congo national football team has cancelled its planned three-day training camp ahead of the World Cup. At the same time, a farewell ceremony for supporters in the capital Kinshasa has also been postponed.

The decision was taken due to the rapid spread of a rare strain of the ‘Bundibugyo’ Ebola virus in the eastern region of the country, according to authorities concerned. Local sources claim that more than one hundred people have died so far, and several hundred more are suspected to be infected.

Considering the seriousness of the situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared it an international public health emergency.

However, despite the cancellation of the preparation camp, two scheduled friendly matches before the World Cup will take place as planned. Congo will face Denmark on June 3 in Liège, Belgium, and Chile on June 9 in Spain.

Team spokesperson Jerry Kalemo said that as part of the first phase of preparation, a farewell event for supporters in Kinshasa was planned. After that, the team was supposed to move to Europe for two friendly matches and then hold a training camp in Houston, USA. However, only the Kinshasa program has been cancelled.

Most of the Congo national team players are currently based in Europe, especially in France, where many of them are playing in different clubs. Head coach Sébastien Desabre is also currently outside the country.

Meanwhile, FIFA has said that it is closely monitoring the situation and is in regular contact with the Congo Football Federation. The organization stated that coordination is being maintained to ensure the health and safety of players and officials.

On the other hand, US health authorities have announced temporary restrictions on travelers from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. However, the Congo national football team is expected to be exempt from these restrictions as the squad is currently based in Europe.

Congo, placed in Group ‘K’ of the World Cup, will begin their campaign on June 17 in Houston against Portugal. They will also play against Colombia and Uzbekistan.

This is the first time since 1974 that Congo has qualified for the World Cup. This achievement is being seen as a major success for the country, which has long been affected by political instability and crisis.