DR Congo has suspended part of its planned World Cup preparations in Kinshasa following growing concerns over a new Ebola outbreak in the country.
The Congolese Football Federation confirmed that the national team will no longer hold its local training camp and public send off activities in the capital as a precautionary measure to protect players, technical staff and officials.
“The team’s training camp in Kinshasa has been cancelled. The camp will now take place in Belgium,” DR Congo spokesperson Jerry Kalemo said.
The move comes just weeks before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where DR Congo is set to make a historic return to the tournament for the first time since 1974.
Authorities say the decision was reached after health concerns escalated following reports of fresh Ebola cases in parts of the country.
The outbreak has already triggered increased monitoring from international health agencies and fresh travel concerns in some countries.
Despite the cancellation of the Kinshasa camp, the Leopards are still expected to continue with the rest of their preparations in Europe before heading to the World Cup.
“Our team’s preparation program is proceeding as planned in Europe and Houston. It is the Kinshasa leg that has been cancelled due to health restrictions,” another DR Congo team spokesperson said.
The development has now thrown an unexpected health challenge into Congo’s football preparations at a time when excitement had been building around the country’s return to the global stage.
For many Congolese fans, the World Cup qualification had become a major source of national pride after decades of disappointment both on and off the pitch.
The Ebola scare is also likely to raise wider concerns around travel, fan movement and health protocols ahead of the tournament, especially with teams expected to move across multiple countries during the competition.
The World Health Organization recently classified the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern after suspected cases and deaths rose in parts of DR Congo and neighboring Uganda.