Two members of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national football team have been placed in isolation following suspected exposure to the Ebola virus, raising fears of a fresh outbreak just weeks before the World Cup. The players, who were part of the squad for a recent friendly match against Senegal, are now under quarantine at a Kinshasa hospital after showing early symptoms including fever and vomiting.
The Congolese Ministry of Health confirmed late Tuesday that the players had been in contact with a relative who later tested positive for the deadly haemorrhagic fever. “We have taken immediate precautionary measures to isolate the individuals and trace all contacts,” said Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the country’s leading virologist. “The risk to the wider public remains low, but we are not taking any chances.”
The news has rattled the football community, with the World Cup set to begin in Russia in less than two weeks. DR Congo are scheduled to play their opening match against Brazil on June 27. The Congolese Football Federation has yet to confirm whether the squad will travel as planned, though officials are coordinating with Fifa and global health authorities.
For ordinary Congolese, the spectre of Ebola is a grim reminder of the 2014-2016 epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people across West Africa. Though that outbreak was concentrated far from the football hotbed of Kinshasa, the country has seen sporadic cases since. In May, the World Health Organisation warned that the DRC was at “high risk” of a new Ebola epidemic due to weak healthcare infrastructure and cross-border travel.
“This is every mother’s nightmare,” said Marie-Claire Mbombo, 42, whose son is a youth player in the capital. “You want to be proud of your children on the world stage, but now we just pray they are safe.” Her words echo the anxiety of a nation that has endured decades of conflict, disease and poverty.
Unions representing football players have called for the match to be postponed. “The players’ health must come first,” said John Mbiya, general secretary of the Congolese Players’ Union. “We cannot sacrifice lives for a game.” Fifa has so far declined to comment, but sources say contingency plans are being drawn up, including the possibility of moving the fixture to a neutral venue or rescheduling.
The economic stakes are high. DR Congo’s World Cup qualification was seen as a rare bright spot for a country where the average wage is less than $2 a day. Businesses in Kinshasa had already seen a surge in sales of TV sets and team jerseys. Now, many fear the football dream will be dashed by a virus that has already claimed so much.
“This is a cruel blow,” said Pierre Kalala, a street vendor selling Congolese flags. “We wanted to show the world we can succeed. Now we just want our boys to be healthy.”
