SOCCER: DR Congo forced to change World Cup preparations due to Ebola outbreak

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s national team has canceled its planned World Cup buildup events in Kinshasa due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak and will instead continue preparations in Belgium, a team spokesperson said.

The squad had initially planned a training session open to fans and a send-off ceremony with the country’s President, Felix Tshisekedi, on Monday as they gear up for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

However, travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in response to the outbreak have forced the team to adjust their plans, the spokesperson told Reuters.

The CDC prohibits entry for non-U.S. passport holders who have been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past 21 days. As a result, all team staff based in DR Congo must leave the country by Thursday to enter the U.S. without restrictions. The team is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. on June 10 or 11.

Team manager Dodo Landu downplayed the impact of the schedule change.

"The change is not very big because we only had three days in Kinshasa," he told RFI. "We will just maintain the program in Belgium. The event on May 25 will take place in Brussels instead of Kinshasa."

During the World Cup, the team will be based in Houston, Texas. The full playing squad, announced on Monday, consists entirely of players from clubs outside DR Congo, mostly in Europe.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said on Wednesday it is "working closely with the CDC, FIFA, and local health departments to ensure the health and safety of the teams, spectators, and all Texas residents."

DR Congo will play its first World Cup game against Portugal in Houston, followed by a match against Colombia in Guadalajara, and will finish its group stage against Uzbekistan in Atlanta.

As of Wednesday, DR Congo has reported 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 suspected deaths.

-Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters