Uzbekistan opponent’s pre-World Cup friendly canceled

A friendly match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chile, scheduled to take place on June 9 this year in La Línea de la Concepción, Spain, has been canceled. Mundo Deportivo reported this.

According to the report, the city’s mayor, Juan Franco, signed a decision banning the match due to the situation related to the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The mayor said the decision was made from a public health safety perspective, based on the recommendations of the Andalusian Health Ministry and the conclusions of the city’s medical service.

“We regret having to make this decision, as the match was an important and interesting event for the city. However, the sanitary situation in Congo and the documents provided do not fully guarantee that there is no risk. Therefore, we consider this decision to be the most appropriate solution,” Juan Franco said.

Nevertheless, the DR Congo national team continues its preparations for the 2026 World Cup. The team is scheduled to play a friendly match against Denmark in Liège, Belgium, on June 3 this year.

For reference, the DR Congo national team will participate in the World Cup for the second time in its history and for the first time since 1974. DR Congo will begin its World Cup campaign against Portugal on June 17 this year. The African side will face Uzbekistan in the third round of the group stage, with the match scheduled for June 28.