DR Congo Cancels Pre-World Cup Kinshasa Camp Amid Ebola Concerns

The Congolese Football Federation has decided to cancel the national team's trip to Kinshasa before heading to the World Cup in the United States, citing concerns related to the Ebola virus outbreak.

The Democratic Republic of Congo team was scheduled to travel to the capital, Kinshasa, on May 25 as part of a special pre-World Cup program. This program included an open training session for fans at the "Tata Raphaël" stadium, a formal reception by President Félix Tshisekedi, and the presentation of the national flag to team captain Chancel Mbemba.

However, the Congolese Federation decided to cancel the entire program to avoid any health risks, especially following new measures announced by US authorities. These measures include tightened health screening and a ban on entry for foreign nationals who have visited Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or South Sudan within the last 21 days.

Despite these measures, US authorities have confirmed that the Democratic Republic of Congo's participation in the World Cup is not at risk. An official from the US State Department told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the team would be able to compete in the tournament as normal.

Meanwhile, the national team's technical staff downplayed the impact of canceling the Kinshasa camp, asserting that the change would not significantly affect the preparation schedule. The team will maintain its gathering in Belgium instead of traveling to Congo.

A member of the technical staff was quoted by 'tv5monde' as saying: “The change is not significant because the camp in Kinshasa was only going to last three days. We will continue the program in Belgium, with the gathering set to begin on May 25 in Brussels.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo national team will compete in Group 11 of the World Cup, alongside Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan.