A planned international friendly between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile has been cancelled in southern Spain over concerns linked to the recent Ebola outbreak in the African nation.
The match had been scheduled to take place on June 9 at the Ciudad de La Linea stadium in La Linea de la Concepcion, Cadiz.
However, mayor Juan Franco announced on Tuesday that he had signed a decree prohibiting the fixture from going ahead.
He said the decision had been taken as a precautionary public health measure following recommendations from Andalucia’s regional health authorities.
According to Franco, the move was based on reports from the Junta de Andalucia’s Director General of Public Health as well as the head of the municipal health service in La Linea, both of whom advised against hosting the match due to potential health risks.
The Congolese national team had already altered its World Cup preparations because of the Ebola outbreak.
After initially beginning preparations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the squad relocated its training camp to Belgium.
The friendly against Chile was due to be the team’s final preparation match in Europe before travelling to North America for the upcoming World Cup.
Chile, which failed to qualify for the tournament, had agreed to play the fixture as part of Congo’s build-up to the competition.
Franco acknowledged that cancelling the match was disappointing for the city.
‘A match of this nature is an attraction for La Linea,’ he said.
However, he added that the documentation provided had failed to fully guarantee there was no risk associated with staging the game.
‘We regret having to take this decision, but we believe it is the most prudent course of action given the circumstances,’ he said.
The mayor had publicly called on higher authorities on Monday to provide firm health guarantees before allowing the fixture to proceed.
He said the lack of satisfactory assurances ultimately led to the cancellation.
It remains unclear whether organisers will attempt to relocate the match to another venue before the scheduled June 9 date.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
