Congo cancels termite jamboree over Ebola virus fears

At the 2026 World Cup, the national team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, drawn in the same group as Uzbekistan, encountered an unexpected problem before the tournament. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

The African representative national team was forced to cancel its preparation camp and friendly matches, which were planned to be held in the country, due to serious sanitary concerns related to the spread of the Ebola virus.

According to Jerri Kalemo, the official representative of the Congo national team, the preparation process for the World Cup was originally supposed to consist of three stages. As per the plan, the first stage was to include meetings with fans and short training sessions in the capital, Kinshasa.

The second stage was to continue in Belgium and Spain, where control matches against the national teams of Denmark and Chile were scheduled. The final stage was set to begin in mid-June in Houston, USA.

Jerri Kalemo emphasized in an interview with ESPN that only the preparation phase in Kinshasa was canceled. This means the team will not completely halt training but will continue with overseas training camps according to the original plan.

Earlier, the World Health Organization had declared the spread of Ebola in the region a public health emergency of international concern, which directly affected sporting events.

For reference, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is set to face Uzbekistan, Portugal, and Colombia in the group stage of the upcoming World Cup.

In the third match of the group, Uzbekistan and Congo are expected to play each other. According to One.uz, it remains unclear how the unexpected organizational changes will affect the team’s overall condition, but safety measures have been prioritized.

Such a situation before a major competition demands quick and correct decisions from the team’s leadership.