DR Congo Friendly vs Chile Played Behind Closed Doors

DR Congo's final World Cup warm‑up match against Chile will be held behind closed doors in Orleans, France, at 16:00 BST on Tuesday. The decision follows concerns over an Ebola outbreak in the African nation. The fixture had been slated for Cadiz, Spain, but a local mayor issued a decree barring the game as a precautionary measure. Authorities therefore relocated the match to Orleans. United States World Cup regulations require the DR Congo squad and officials to spend 21 days outside DR Congo and be symptom‑free before entering the tournament. None of the DR Congo players have visited their homeland recently, although some support staff and fans have travelled from there.

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The team is finalising preparations in Marbella, Spain, after a ten‑day training camp in Belgium that featured a 0‑0 draw with Denmark. Yoane Wissa, who plays for Newcastle, is one of five England‑based players in the DR Congo squad. DR Congo will base itself in Houston for the tournament, opening Group K against Portugal on 17 June. They will then travel to Guadalajara to face Colombia before returning to the United States for a match with Uzbekistan in Atlanta. The Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species. The World Health Organisation notes there is currently no vaccine for this strain and a jab could take up to nine months to become available.