Ebola Match Ban
Spanish Mayor Bans DR Congo-Chile Friendly Match Over Ebola Health Concerns
The mayor of La Línea de la Concepción in southern Spain, Juan Franco, has cancelled a June 9 international warm-up between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile, issuing a decree after regional health authorities in Andalusia advised against hosting the match due to the Ebola outbreak. Franco said the decision was a precautionary measure supported by local medical recommendations. The Ebola outbreak has also disrupted Congo’s preparations, including the cancellation of a home training camp, with the team relocating their base to Belgium. For the World Cup beginning June 11, U.S. authorities require Congo players and staff to isolate for 21 days before entering the United States. Mexico has tightened entry rules for travelers who have been in several countries in the previous 21 days, affecting those coming from or linked to the DR Congo outbreak. Congo’s World Cup schedule includes group matches against Portugal in Houston on June 17, Colombia in Guadalajara on June 24, and Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 28.
Key Points
Ebola was declared on May 15 in Ituri province in northeastern DR Congo, according to reporting on the outbreak’s origins that fed into the match cancellation decision.
La Línea de la Concepción’s mayor noted the local medical chain of recommendation: the town’s chief medical officer (and its mayoralty health service head) formally advised against permitting the exhibition, with Franco saying the report categorically warned of “health risks.”
DR Congo’s disrupted preparations included canceling a home training camp and switching to new match plans abroad; the team was set to play a friendly against Denmark in Liège, Belgium, “on Wednesday.”
La Línea de la Concepción was described as a roughly 65,000-resident municipality located adjacent to the border with Gibraltar—context for why the municipality hosted the DR Congo–Chile friendly and why local authorities took rapid action.
The tournament context was highlighted as DR Congo’s World Cup return: the team were set to play their first World Cup since appearing as Zaire in the 1974 edition.
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