Madrid, June 5 (IANS) The Democratic Republic of Congo has condemned a decision by Spanish authorities to cancel its pre-World Cup friendly against Chile on June 9 due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the African nation.

The match was scheduled to be played in La Linea de la Concepcion in southern Spain, but on Tuesday the town’s mayor, Juan Franco, announced that it would not go ahead on public health grounds.

“I have signed the decree banning the holding of the 9 June match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile,” announced Franco, adding that “a report by the head of the local health service of La Linea advised categorically against hosting the match given the health risks which might arise.”

The DR Congo team has been training in a health bubble in Belgium ahead of its World Cup campaign. It’s reported that none of the 26 players plays is based in the country or traveled directly from there to the training camp, although some members of the support staff and potentially some fans may have done so.

Speaking at a virtual press conference organised by the World Health Organization, DR Congo’s Minister of Communication Patrick Muyaya lamented the situation, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We are having serious problems with the Spanish authorities because they have decided that the second match our national team is scheduled to play cannot be played due to Ebola,” he said.

“I believe that none of our players play in Kinshasa or in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They have all been in Belgium for about three weeks now, training for the World Cup, so this type of decision could be considered discrimination,” added Muyaya.

According to the World Health Organization, Ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates.

The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals (such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates) and then spreads in the human population through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids.

–IANS

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