The national football team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo should isolate itself for 21 days before the World Cup in the USA due to the Ebola outbreak in the Congo, the USA has demanded.
23.05.2026, 10:02
23.05.2026, 12:05
SDA
Otherwise the team would risk being denied entry, explained Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House task force for the World Cup, on the television channel ESPN. So far, the team is planning to set up camp in Houston from June 11.
Due to the Ebola outbreak in the east of the country, the DR Congo had already canceled a planned three-day training camp and a farewell event with fans in the capital Kinshasa during the week. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are now more than 700 suspected cases and almost 180 suspected Ebola deaths in the DR Congo. Several dozen cases have been confirmed in the laboratory so far.
The DR Congo is back at the World Cup for the first time since 1974 and will face Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan in Group K. All of the national team players and French coach Sébastien Desabre live and work outside the Central African country, and most of the professionals are under contract with French clubs. The team is currently training in Belgium and is playing two preparation matches.
