La Linea Mayor Scraps DR Congo vs. Chile Friendly Amidst Ebola Fears

The upcoming international friendly between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and Chile, originally scheduled to take place in Spain next week, has been called off due to health officials' concerns regarding the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the African nation.

Juan Franco, the mayor of La Linea de la Concepcion, issued a decree formally canceling the match, which was set for June 9. This decision follows advice from both the Andalusian regional health service and the local municipal medical department. Mayor Franco described the cancellation as a "precautionary measure."

"A report by the head of the mayoralty's health service of La Linea advised categorically against hosting the match given the health risks which might arise," Franco stated.

La Linea, a coastal town of approximately 65,000 residents located in the Cadiz province near the Gibraltar border, was to serve as the venue for the game as both teams continued their World Cup preparations.

The DR Congo national team is currently stationed in Belgium. They had previously canceled a planned pre-tournament training camp in their capital, Kinshasa, due to the Ebola situation in the eastern part of the country. According to BBC Sport, none of the DR Congo players—who are all employed by clubs outside the nation—have recently visited their homeland. However, some members of the support staff and fans have traveled from the region.

The team is next scheduled to play a friendly against Denmark in Liege on Wednesday.

In response to the outbreak, the US public health agency has imposed a ban on entry for non-Americans who have been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days. The current outbreak in eastern DR Congo is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola. There is currently no available vaccine for this specific strain, and the World Health Organization estimates that a jab could take up to nine months to become ready.

Having qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974, DR Congo plans to use Houston as their base during the tournament. They are set to begin their Group K campaign there on June 17 against Portugal. Following that match, the team will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, to face Colombia, before returning to the United States to play Uzbekistan in Atlanta.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-02 19:28:55 UTC