Congo and Chile friendly match cancelled due to Ebola

A municipal decree in southern Spain has halted a friendly match scheduled between the national teams of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile, as part of both teams' preparations for the 2026 World Cup, due to health concerns related to the Ebola outbreak in Congo. The decision was made by the mayor of La Línea de la Concepción, Juan Franco, who announced via an audio recording that he had signed a decree prohibiting the match, which was scheduled for June 9 at the city's stadium. He emphasized that the move was a precautionary measure to protect public health. Franco explained that the decision was based on recommendations from regional government health authorities, as well as a local medical report that warned of the potential risks of holding the match under the current health conditions. The canceled match was one of the Democratic Republic of Congo's preparatory stops in Europe before their participation in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The team is seeking to improve its readiness through a series of friendly matches. The Congolese national team is also preparing for another friendly match against Denmark in the Belgian city of Liège as part of its World Cup preparations, amidst increasing travel and movement restrictions. Meanwhile, Mexican authorities and airlines have imposed restrictions on travel from certain African countries affected by the virus, in coordination with the United States and Canada, as part of security and health preparations for the global tournament.