The Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled next month's international friendly against Chile in Spain. The reason is a new Ebola outbreak in the country's Equateur province. The DR Congo government imposed a travel ban. The ban includes all non-essential international trips. The football federation had no choice. They pulled the plug on the Spain trip.
The move is a sign of how seriously Kinshasa is taking the outbreak. The World Health Organization has reported 21 cases. Nine of them have died. The epicentre is Mbandaka, a city on the Congo River. It is a transport hub. That makes the risk of spread high.
Chile's football federation said they were informed late last night. They expressed understanding. But they are now scrambling to find a new opponent. The friendly was scheduled for October 12 in Madrid. It was meant to be a warm-up for World Cup qualifiers.
For DR Congo, the cancellation is a setback. The team had been preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. They face Gabon next month. The travel ban could also disrupt those plans. But health comes first.
This is a story of the game being is run by events off the pitch. Ebola is back. And the political reaction is swift. The DR Congo government does not want to be seen as slow to act. Not after the 2014-16 outbreak that killed over 11,000 in West Africa.
The DR Congo football federation president said in a statement: "We regret the cancellation but the safety of our players and staff is our priority." Sources in Kinshasa tell me the decision was made at the highest level. President Felix Tshisekedi's office was involved.
Chile is now looking at other African opponents. But the travel restrictions are likely to make that difficult. Other countries may also cancel matches with DR Congo. The Ebola virus is not something to gamble with.
This is a developing story. We are expecting more details on the outbreak and its impact on sports. The WHO is sending more teams to Mbandaka. The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice. It now advises against all but essential travel to Equateur province.
For the football world, it is a reminder that the beautiful game operates in a harsh world. Disease does not respect match schedules. DR Congo's cancellation is prudent. But it also shows how little control football administrators have when a public health emergency hits.
We will keep you posted on any further cancellations or changes in the African football calendar. The game goes on. But not to Mbandaka. Not today.
