Spain cancels DR Congo vs Chile over Ebola outbreak concerns

A planned international friendly between Chile and DR Congo has been cancelled after local authorities in southern Spain blocked the match over health concerns linked to an Ebola outbreak in central Africa, reports BBC Sport via agencies on June 2nd.

The fixture had been scheduled to take place on June 9th in La Linea de la Concepcion, a coastal city near the Gibraltar border in Spain. However, Mayor Juan Franco signed a decree preventing the game from going ahead, citing recommendations from regional and local health officials.

Franco said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure after medical experts warned of potential risks associated with hosting the match. According to the mayor, a report from the municipality’s health service advised against staging the fixture because of concerns related to the outbreak.

The cancellation comes as DR Congo continue preparations for the World Cup. The team recently abandoned plans for a pre-tournament training camp in the capital, Kinshasa, and are instead based in Belgium.

Although none of the players are believed to have travelled to DR Congo recently, some members of the team’s support staff and a number of supporters have arrived from the country. DR Congo remain scheduled to play Denmark in a friendly match in the Belgian city of Liege later this week.

International authorities have also introduced precautionary measures in response to the outbreak. The United States has temporarily barred entry to non-American citizens who have been in DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days.

Health officials say the outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant for which no approved vaccine currently exists. The World Health Organisation has warned that developing an effective vaccine could take up to nine months.

Despite the disruption to their preparations, DR Congo are continuing to plan for their first World Cup appearance since 1974. The team is expected to be based in Houston during the tournament and will begin its Group K campaign against Portugal on June 17th before facing Colombia and Uzbekistan in later matches.

BBC Sport via agencies, Maghrebi.org