Football World Cup: World Cup test match canceled due to Ebola: DR Congo hopes for a solution

“Documents were submitted, but they were insufficient, according to both the municipal experts and the experts from the regional government of Andalusia,” he told Cope radio. The decision was made to “take a path of extreme caution”.

Association opposes this

The Congolese Football Association then assured in a statement that all necessary measures had been taken to ensure compliance with the health, sporting and official requirements applicable to the game. “The Congolese delegation continues to strictly adhere to the applicable international protocols,” it said.

The association is currently in discussions with the Spanish Football Association and the relevant international bodies. It is hoped that “a quick and satisfactory solution will be found that will enable this game to be played under the best possible conditions,” the statement said.

The opponent is also prepared to make concessions. “We are in discussions with the Congolese Football Association, the organizer of the game and the stadium operator so that the game can take place behind closed doors,” Felipe Correa, manager of the Chilean national team, said, according to Spanish media.

Life-threatening illness

The Congo and neighboring Uganda have been affected by an outbreak of the dangerous Ebola virus since April. The contagious and life-threatening infectious disease is transmitted through direct contact with blood or other body fluids.

At the end of May, the three World Cup host countries USA, Canada and Mexico imposed entry restrictions for people who had previously stayed in Congo, Uganda or the neighboring country South Sudan in view of the outbreak.