The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has criticised the cancellation of a scheduled international friendly match against Chile in Spain, insisting the decision was unwarranted and detrimental to the national team's preparations.
The encounter, billed for June 9 in La Linea de la Concepcion, southern Spain, was called off after local authorities cited health concerns linked to the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo.
Mayor Juan Franco said the decision followed recommendations from local health officials, who advised against hosting the match due to potential public health risks.
The cancellation has, however, sparked objections from Congolese authorities, who maintain that the concerns were misplaced.
DR Congo’s national team is currently camped in Belgium as part of its preparations for upcoming World Cup qualifiers and other international assignments.
According to reports, all 26 players invited to the squad are based outside DR Congo and did not travel directly from the country to the training camp. Only some members of the delegation and supporters were expected to arrive from DR Congo.
Responding to the development, DR Congo's Minister of Communication, Patrick Muyaya, described the decision as unfair and damaging to the team's schedule.
Speaking during a virtual press briefing organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Muyaya said the squad had spent nearly three weeks training in Belgium and posed no immediate health threat.
He added that the cancellation risked sending the wrong message and could be interpreted as a form of discrimination against the country.
The friendly against Chile was intended to help the Congolese side fine-tune preparations ahead of future international competitions, including the FIFA World Cup.
Source: Xinhua/NAN
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