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Congo-Chile Friendly Moved to France, Played Without Spectators Due to Ebola Fears

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • The Democratic Republic of Congo will play a final warm-up match against Chile in France, with no spectators allowed due to Ebola concerns.
  • The match was initially scheduled for Spain but was moved after local authorities denied permission amid an Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda.
  • Despite the relocation, Congo's World Cup qualification remains unaffected, as all team members meet entry requirements for the tournament's host countries.

The Democratic Republic of Congo will play its final World Cup warm-up match against Chile in France, but the game will be held behind closed doors. The decision to play without spectators comes as a precautionary measure due to the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak.

The friendly match, originally slated to take place in Cadiz, Spain, faced cancellation when local authorities refused to grant permission for it to be held. The refusal was a direct response to the spread of the Ebola virus in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, raising health concerns.

However, the Ebola outbreak will not impact Congo's participation in the World Cup. Officials confirmed that all 26 members of the national team meet the entry requirements for the tournament's co-host countries, the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These requirements include a 21-day waiting period after leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo and a lack of Ebola symptoms.

This match marks Congo's return to the World Cup stage after a 52-year absence, their last appearance being in 1974. Their previous friendly against Denmark on June 4 ended in a goalless draw.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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