It should have been a beautiful story. For the first time since 1974, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has returned to the pinnacle of world football. Yet, this historic qualification of the Leopards is now overshadowed by a major health crisis. Due to a resurgence of the Ebola virus in Central and East Africa, Congolese fans are being denied entry to the United States. Faced with this situation, the Congolese Football Federation (Fecofa) has officially requested FIFA to reimburse the cost of their tickets.

🛑 A health blockade that is taking a heavy toll on people's wallets

Since the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern on May 16, Washington has implemented a strict policy: a ban on entry for anyone who has been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days. With the US embassy in Kinshasa having suspended visa issuance, travel has become an impossible ordeal for fans.

1. Fecofa's heartfelt cry: "Our supporters are being punished when they simply want to support their team," laments Veron Mosengo-Omba, president of the federation.
2. Outrageously expensive tickets: With FIFA's dynamic pricing system, tickets for this 2026 World Cup (co-hosted with Canada and Mexico) are selling at stratospheric prices — sometimes up to seven times more expensive than in Qatar in 2022.

FIFA's response: When questioned by the BBC, the international governing body remained cautious, stating that it would "examine the matter in due course." FIFA typically prefers ticket resale to refunds, except in exceptional circumstances.

To get around the problem, many Congolese fans are now planning to boycott games in the United States — such as the clash against Portugal on June 17 in Houston — to go directly to Guadalajara, Mexico, where the DRC is due to face Colombia.

⚽ The Leopards spared, heading for Texas

Fortunately, from a purely sporting perspective, the team managed by Sébastien Desabre is safe. Since the majority of the 26 selected players play abroad, they are not subject to travel restrictions.

As for the technical staff members residing in the DRC, they anticipated the crisis by leaving the country in time to complete their quarantine. While the team had to cancel its training camp in Kinshasa, it is currently fine-tuning its preparations in Belgium before flying to its base camp in Texas.

For Congolese football, a pioneer of sub-Saharan Africa in the World Cup (in 1974 under the name of Zaire), this tournament represents a true "resurrection", a parenthesis of national unity where the population forgets its daily difficulties.

🔬 A rare strain and an explosive security context

On the health front, the situation remains worrying. The epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, a rare variant of the Ebola virus that had not resurfaced for more than a decade and for which no vaccine is available .

The epidemic's toll in figures:

1. More than 900 suspected cases have been identified.
2. 223 potential deaths to be deplored.
3. The majority of infection clusters are located in the DRC.

The medical response is significantly hampered by chronic instability and armed conflict in eastern DRC, which complicates access to civilian populations already distrustful of health authorities.

Faced with the emerging panic, Veron Mosengo-Omba nevertheless sought to reassure and avoid generalizations: "Just because we come from the DRC doesn't mean we have Ebola. Congo is vast, and our country knows this disease well, having fought it several times. The world doesn't need to be afraid."