A planned pre-World Cup friendly match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile has been cancelled by Spanish authorities over concerns related to the Ebola outbreak in the African nation.
The match was scheduled to take place on June 9 in La Linea de la Concepcion, a town in southern Spain near the border with Gibraltar.
Announcing the decision, the mayor of La Linea, Juan Franco, said he had signed a decree prohibiting the game from taking place.
According to Franco, the decision was taken as a precautionary measure following recommendations from the Andalusia regional government’s health service.
“I have signed the decree banning the holding of the June 9 match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile,” the mayor said.
He explained that local health officials advised against hosting the fixture due to potential health risks associated with the Ebola outbreak.
Franco added that the head of the municipality’s medical service had strongly recommended that the match should not go ahead.
“A report by the head of the mayoralty’s health service of La Linea advised categorically against hosting the match given the health risks which might arise,” he stated.
The Democratic Republic of Congo recently qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974, when the country participated under the name Zaire.
Despite the cancellation, the Congolese national team remains scheduled to play a friendly match against Denmark in Liege, Belgium, on Wednesday as part of its World Cup preparations.
The team had initially planned to hold a training camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, those plans were abandoned following the outbreak of Ebola in the country last month.
Instead, the squad has been based in Belgium while continuing preparations for the tournament.
The Ebola outbreak was officially declared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-May, raising concerns among international health authorities and sporting organisers.
On May 22, United States authorities announced that members of the Congolese squad would be required to complete a 21-day isolation period before being allowed to enter the country for the World Cup.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to establish its tournament base in Houston, Texas.
The team will begin its World Cup campaign on June 17 with a Group K clash against Portugal.
After the opening match, DR Congo will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, where they are scheduled to face Colombia on June 24.
The African side will then return to the United States to play Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 28 as they continue their quest for a place in the knockout stages.
The cancellation of the Chile friendly represents a setback in the team’s final preparations, but officials remain focused on ensuring the squad is ready for its long-awaited return to the world’s biggest football tournament.
