DR Congo to Play Friendly Against Chile Behind Closed Doors Amid Ebola Concerns

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, making its first FIFA World Cup appearance in 52 years, has decided to play its final warm-up match against Chile behind closed doors in France, after the fixture was nearly canceled due to the spread of the Ebola virus.

Reuters reported, "The match against Chile, the final warm-up for the DR Congo national football team before the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, will be held behind closed doors in Orléans, France, on June 9 (local time)."

The match was originally scheduled to take place in Cadiz, southern Spain.

However, as the Ebola virus that broke out in DR Congo and Uganda spread, the local mayor decided not to approve hosting the match as a "precautionary measure," putting the friendly on the verge of cancellation.

The DR Congo squad, which qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time in 52 years since 1974 when the country was named Zaire, is currently continuing its preparations for the World Cup in Marbella, Spain, after completing a 10-day training camp in Belgium.

They drew 0-0 in a friendly match against Denmark held in Belgium on June 4.

The United States, a co-host of the 2026 World Cup, notified the squad and officials that to enter the U.S. for the tournament, they must have left DR Congo at least 21 days prior and show no symptoms of Ebola.

None of the 26 players on the final roster for the DR Congo national team play in their domestic league.

Most of them play for European clubs.

Only a few officials traveled from DR Congo to join the national team's camp.

According to team officials, all members currently meet the U.S. entry requirements.

The DR Congo national team is scheduled to move to its World Cup base camp in Houston, USA, on June 11 (local time).

Six days later, they will begin their World Cup campaign with their first Group K match against Portugal.

They will then face Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico, followed by Uzbekistan in Atlanta, USA.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.