Five DR Congo players are now in isolation. The reason? Ebola. Not a hamstring, not a tactical row. A full-blown health scare, 48 hours before a World Cup qualifier.
Let’s cut through the spin. This is not a precautionary rest day. This is a lockdown. The Congolese federation confirmed it late last night. The players are separated from the rest of the squad. They are undergoing tests. The match against Guinea is on a knife-edge.
What do we know? The five were part of a training camp in Kinshasa. A player reported feeling unwell. Usual protocol: isolate, test, wait. But in the world of football, protocol meets panic. The FA is locked in talks with FIFA. The medical team is working double shifts. The manager is fielding questions he never prepared for.
Here is the key question for Westminster types: Who calls this off? FIFA has the final say. But the DR Congo FA is under pressure. The players want to play. The government is watching. Ebola is not a political football you want to drop.
Now the whispers. Sources inside the camp say morale is fragile. Some players are terrified. Others are angry. The isolation ward is a psychological test as much as a medical one. The rest of the squad is training in a separate bubble. They are waiting. No one knows what the tests will show.
Let’s be clear on the state of play. The World Cup qualifier is scheduled for Sunday. That gives 72 hours. If the tests come back negative, the players rejoin. If not, we are in uncharted territory. This is not a backbench rebellion. This is a public health emergency with a global audience.
I have spoken to a former FA insider. His words: “FIFA will not risk a PR disaster. If there is a single confirmed case, the match is off. Expect a postponement or a cancellation. The politics are brutal.”
And the wider implications? This could be the canary in the coal mine. Other African nations are watching. The World Cup qualifying calendar is already a mess. Ebola could rip through it.
For now, we wait. The players remain in isolation. The FA remains quiet. The medical bulletin is the only thing that matters. In the game of politics, this is not about who scores. It is about who survives.
More as we have it.
