DR Congo's final World Cup warm-up match against Chile will happen behind closed doors. The game is scheduled for Tuesday in Orléans, France, due to Ebola concerns.
Kickoff is set for 16:00 BST. Originally, authorities in Cádiz, Spain had planned to host the fixture before the city's mayor blocked it on public health grounds.
The Congolese squad is currently training in Marbella, Spain. They arrived after a 10-day camp in Belgium where they drew goalless with Denmark.
Strict health requirements now shape their World Cup preparations. U.S. officials demand that all teams and personnel stay outside DR Congo for at least 21 days and show no symptoms before entry.
Congo's players are based abroad and haven't recently returned home. However, some staff members and supporters reportedly visited the outbreak zone recently.
An Ebola surge in eastern DR Congo has claimed many lives. Health authorities confirmed 488 cases and at least 86 deaths as of Saturday.
The outbreak involves a rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. The World Health Organisation noted no approved vaccine exists for this variant yet.
Developing a vaccine could take up to nine months, according to WHO. This adds pressure to global health response efforts.
Congo returns to the World Cup stage for the first time since 1974. Back then, they competed under the name Zaire and exited at the group phase.
Their Group K opponents are Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan. They'll face Portugal in Houston on June 17 in their opening match.
The squad will play Colombia in Guadalajara next. They'll take on Uzbekistan in Atlanta to complete their group fixtures.
Houston will serve as their World Cup base throughout the tournament. Congo's preparations continue despite the challenging circumstances surrounding their historic return.
