The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) national football team has finally arrived in the United States for the World Cup after being forced to undergo three weeks of quarantine in Europe due to the Ebola outbreak in the country, according to Al Jazeera.
The delegation arrived on a flight from Paris on Thursday (exact date not specified) after US authorities required them to complete a 21-day quarantine in Belgium or face denial of entry to the tournament. Head coach Sebastien Desabre said he hopes the team will perform well, bringing joy to people facing the epidemic.
Desabre, a Frenchman, said, "It's been a long time since the people saw the team at the World Cup. We were honored to qualify. Now it's time to perform well in this tournament."
The DRC is making its first World Cup appearance since 1974, when it was known as Zaire. They canceled domestic training plans after the Ebola outbreak last month and instead trained in Belgium. Preparations grew more chaotic when a friendly against Chile in Spain was canceled over virus transmission concerns.
"We adapted to the situation," Desabre said. "We have to stay focused, as we have done many times. We worked well, played two tough friendlies, and now we are here. This is another step forward."
The team will be based in Houston for the tournament, where they play their first Group K match against Portugal on June 17. They then travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, to face Colombia on June 23, before playing Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 28.
