DR Congo squad to respect 'health-related' decisions at World Cup, coach says

DR Congo's World Cup squad will respect any "health-related" decisions during the tournament, head coach Sebastien Desabre said at a press conference on Tuesday (June 2), after the African nation has been struck by an Ebola outbreak.

However, Desabre said that, while they will comply with medical restrictions set by FIFA, the team's players were based in European countries.

"All the players came from Europe, and the local staff respected the deadlines to leave, so it doesn’t affect us at all in our daily lives," he told journalists.

"As always—even since COVID—we have internal health protocols that are followed," he added.

An outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with cases also reported in Uganda.

The World Health Organization said on Friday (May 29) that there were 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 223 suspected deaths that were being investigated.

On Saturday (May 30) the Democratic Republic of Congo said its national football federation and FIFA had confirmed its World Cup delegation is compliant with U.S. protocols related to the Ebola outbreak, clearing the way for the team to compete at the tournament.

-Marta Fiorin, Hannah Ellison/Reuters