Overview
- U.S. officials notified DR Congo on Friday that the entire delegation must stay inside a continuous 21-day training bubble in Belgium before they can enter the United States.
- The Congolese team says it will not change plans and is keeping its Belgium training camp with no squad players arriving from the DRC, while a planned three-day send-off in Kinshasa was cancelled.
- The World Health Organization has raised the risk in the DRC to very high and declared the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak an emergency of international concern with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths reported.
- DR Congo is due to travel to Houston on June 11 and play Portugal on June 17, Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, and Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta, leaving a tight window where any breach of the bubble could lead U.S. authorities to deny entry.
- The rule adds pressure on testing, travel and media arrangements and could force last-minute changes that affect player preparation and the team’s ability to compete if the bubble’s integrity cannot be maintained.