Story perspectives

Congo Trains in Houston, Cancels Chile Friendly Amid Ebola

6/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Democratic Republic of Congo national team trained publicly in Houston on June 12 before its Group K match against Portugal.
Coach Sébastien Desabre said the squad is concentrating solely on the Portugal game.
Ebola in the Congo, with 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths, forced the cancellation of a scheduled friendly with Chile.
Former Scotland manager Craig Brown recalled the 1998 World Cup debut and joked about Brazil’s nerves before the final.

History

Historical Context

The 2014 West African Ebola crisis, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 8 August 2014, infected 28,616 people and killed 11,310, prompting WHO-coordinated travel bans and a UN Security Council resolution. Rising Ebola cases in Central Africa forced Congo’s national team, coached by Sébastien Desabre, to train in Houston on 12 June, cancelling a Chile friendly and underscoring health-security impacts on World Cup preparations.

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Story summary

The Democratic Republic of Congo national team trained publicly in Houston on June 12 before its Group K match against Portugal.
Coach Sébastien Desabre said the squad is concentrating solely on the Portugal game.
Ebola in the Congo, with 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths, forced the cancellation of a scheduled friendly with Chile.
Former Scotland manager Craig Brown recalled the 1998 World Cup debut and joked about Brazil’s nerves before the final.

1 / 2