DR Congo’s final World Cup warm-up against Chile will be played behind closed doors in the French city of Orleans on Tuesday, after fears over an Ebola outbreak forced organisers to abandon the original venue in Spain.
The match, scheduled for 16:00 BST, had been due to take place in Cadiz before a local mayor signed a decree preventing it as a “precautionary measure”. Now, with no spectators allowed, the team will face Chile in a sealed stadium – a stark reminder of the health crisis gripping the central African nation.
“DR Congo's World Cup warm-up against Chile will be played behind closed doors in France due to Ebola outbreak concerns.”
DR Congo are appearing at the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when they competed as Zaire and finished bottom of their group after defeats to Scotland, Brazil and Yugoslavia. The squad, which includes Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa as one of five players based in England, have been training away from the country since their recent camp in Belgium, where they drew 0-0 with Denmark. None of the players have visited DR Congo recently, but some support staff and fans have travelled from the affected region. The entire group is now based in Marbella, Spain, finalising preparations for the tournament.
The United States, which hosts the World Cup, requires all squad members and officials to have spent 21 days outside DR Congo and be symptom-free before they can enter the country. DR Congo plan to base themselves in Houston and open their Group K campaign against Portugal on 17 June. They will then travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, to face Colombia, before returning to the US to take on Uzbekistan in Atlanta.
The Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has been caused by the Bundibugyo species, a rare strain for which there is currently no vaccine. The World Health Organisation has said it could take up to nine months for a vaccine to be ready.