The head coach of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has remained calm regarding the fate of his team’s World Cup warm-up match against Chile, after it was banned by the mayor of the Spanish municipality that was set to host the game on June 9 over fears of Ebola transmission.
“There are other stadiums, there are possibilities to play behind closed doors, there are several options (...) we are used to adapting, and whatever happens, we will adapt without any problem to these situations,” Sébastien Desabre told reporters on Tuesday evening.
“I think it is simply a venue issue, not a cancellation of the match, because both teams get along very well and want to play. We will see what happens, but of course we will respect any health-related decisions, even though, for now, it does not affect us,” added the French coach of the DRC.
Earlier, the mayor of La Línea de la Concepción, near Gibraltar in southern Spain, announced that he had prohibited the friendly match between the DRC and Chile as a precaution against “possible health risks” linked to the Ebola outbreak in the African country.
Desabre stressed that strict health measures were already in place around his squad and said the team’s training camp in Belgium was proceeding normally.
“Honestly, we are having a completely normal training camp, just like any other. All the players came from Europe, and the local staff respected the required deadlines before leaving the DRC, so it does not affect our daily life at all,” he said.
The match against Chile was scheduled to be the second friendly game for the Congolese national team in Europe as part of its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. The team is also set to face Denmark in Liège, Belgium, on Wednesday.
At the World Cup, the DRC will compete in Group K alongside Colombia, Portugal, and Uzbekistan.
The White House had previously stated that the Congolese team would need to remain in a 21-day biosecure “bubble” to prevent any risk of Ebola contamination before being allowed to enter the United States for the tournament.
Source: AFP
