Democratic Republic of Congo proposes secret World Cup warm-up games

La Linea de la Concepcion Bans DRC-Chile Friendly Due to Health Concerns

The mayor of La Linea de la Concepcion, Juan Franco, has issued a decree banning the June 9 friendly match between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Chile. The decision was made due to health concerns related to an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the African country.

According to Franco, the measure is a precautionary one, following recommendations from the Andalusia regional government’s health service. The DRC had previously cancelled a planned pre-World Cup training camp at home after the outbreak and have been based in Belgium instead.

DRC head coach Sebastien Desabre expressed hope that the match could still take place, stating that there are alternative options available, including playing behind closed doors. However, he declined to comment further on the matter.

The DRC has taken necessary precautions to ensure player safety, with doctors in contact with FIFA and all players coming from Europe. The team’s training camp has been deemed normal by Desabre.

An Ebola outbreak was declared in the eastern DRC in mid-May, prompting US authorities to require Congo’s squad to isolate for 21 days before entering the United States for the World Cup. The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 and will be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.

The match between the DRC and Chile was originally planned to take place in La Linea de la Concepcion, but it has been cancelled due to health concerns.

Source: Al Jazeera