The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) national football team has refused to alter its World Cup preparations despite a direct warning from the United States government that the squad must complete a 21-day isolation period before entering the country, as a deadly Ebola outbreak in central Africa draws unprecedented scrutiny to the tournament.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised to “very high” the risk of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola turning into a national outbreak in the DRC and has declared the situation there and in neighbouring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths recorded. The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccines or treatments, adding to the severity of the public health concern.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed that the US had been explicit with the DRC government, FIFA and the team itself. “We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11th,” he said. “We cannot be any clearer. We want to make sure there is nothing that’s going to come in or near our borders.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed travel restrictions against non-US passport holders who had been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, though a US official confirmed the Congolese World Cup squad would not be affected as they have been training in Europe.
A DRC team spokesperson said the squad had no intention of changing course. “We have kept our training programme. No player in the squad has come from DRC,” the official said. The entire playing roster, along with French coach Sébastien Desabre, are based outside the country, the majority in Europe.
FIFA issued a statement confirming it was aware of and monitoring the Ebola situation and was in close communication with the DRC Football Association to ensure the team received all relevant medical and security guidance.
One adjustment has been made. The team had planned a three-day celebratory trip to Kinshasa before departing for the tournament, but that visit was cancelled following the outbreak’s escalation. A handful of team officials based in Kinshasa were reported to be leaving for the Belgium training camp.
The DRC are set to be based in Houston during the group stage, where they will face Portugal on June 17 in their first World Cup appearance in 52 years. Their qualification, the country’s second ever after appearing at the 1974 tournament as Zaire, had been met with scenes of national jubilation across a country that has endured decades of conflict. The Ebola crisis now casts a complicated shadow over what should have been an unambiguously celebratory moment.
