US To Allow DR Congo Team Into World Cup Despite Ebola Restrictions

The United States has said it will allow the Democratic Republic of Congo national team to participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup despite current travel restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa.

A senior US State Department official disclosed on Tuesday that the Congolese team would be granted access to the country under special health and screening arrangements.

“We expect the DRC team to be able to attend the World Cup,” the official said.

The US recently imposed restrictions on non-American travellers who had visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days due to concerns over the spread of Ebola.

Under the policy, affected travellers are barred from entering the United States unless they are American citizens or permanent residents undergoing special health protocols.

However, the official explained that the Congolese national team would not face a complete ban and could instead be subjected to strict medical screening and isolation procedures similar to those applied to returning American citizens.

“We’re working to get them into the same protocol for testing and isolation that American citizens returning and permanent residents would be,” the official added.

According to US authorities, the exemption applies only to the team and its officials and not to ordinary supporters or fans travelling from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The official also noted that the team may not even fall directly under the restrictions because many of the players have already been training in Europe ahead of the competition.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the only one among the three Ebola-affected countries that qualified for the World Cup.

The Congolese side, popularly known as the “Leopards,” secured qualification for only the second time in the country’s history. Their first appearance at the tournament came in 1974 when the country competed as Zaire.

The team is expected to camp in Houston, Texas, where they will play their opening Group K fixture against Portugal on June 17.

They are also scheduled to face Colombia in Guadalajara on June 24 before returning to the United States for their final group match against Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 28.

The US government said public health measures surrounding the team’s participation would continue to be closely monitored throughout the tournament.