The Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled its pre-World Cup training camp in the capital, Kinshasa, due to an Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country. Preparations for the team have been relocated to Belgium amidst the surge in cases, which is believed to have claimed over 130 lives.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern,” though it has clarified that it has not reached pandemic levels. Jerry Kalemo, a spokesperson for the national football team, confirmed to international media that pre-tournament matches in Europe would proceed as scheduled. The squad is preparing for its first World Cup appearance since 1974.
DR Congo is set to play friendly matches against Denmark on June 3 in Belgium, and against Chile on June 9 in Spain, ahead of the World Cup finals. Their first tournament match is scheduled for June 17 in Houston, USA, against Portugal.
A team spokesperson informed Reuters that the training camp’s cancellation was a result of travel restrictions imposed by the United States, a co-host of this summer’s World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada. The US public health agency has prohibited entry for non-American citizens who have been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the preceding 21 days, as a measure against the Ebola outbreak.
All DR Congo players and the team’s French coach, Sébastien Desabre, are based outside the central African nation and will therefore not be impacted by these restrictions following the camp’s cancellation. Some team staff based in DR Congo departed the country on Wednesday, as reported by Kalemo to the Associated Press, ahead of the 21-day deadline.
The planned high-profile event in Kinshasa, which was expected to draw fans and DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, has also been affected, according to Reuters. Kinshasa is approximately 1,800 km (1,120 miles) from the eastern Ituri province, the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak. No cases have been reported in the capital city to date.
On Wednesday, the WHO reported 139 suspected deaths out of 600 suspected cases. However, on the same day, Congolese health minister Samuel Roger Kamba stated on state broadcaster RTNC TV that authorities had recorded 159 deaths. The current outbreak is attributed to a rare species of Ebola known as Bundibugyo. There is currently no vaccine available for this specific strain, and the WHO estimates it could take up to nine months for a vaccine to be developed.
#DRCongo #EbolaOutbreak #WorldCup #Football #PublicHealthEmergency #TravelRestrictions #Kinshasa #WHO #SportsNews #AfricanFootball
Leave a Reply