DR Congo appeals for world cup ticket refunds amid Ebola travel restrictions

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s football federation (Fecofa) has asked FIFA to refund 2026 World Cup tickets purchased by fans unable to travel to the United States because of Ebola-related restrictions.

DR Congo recently qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974, but an Ebola outbreak declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization on 16 May has disrupted supporters’ travel plans.

The United States has suspended visa services in Kinshasa and barred entry to non-Americans who have recently travelled through DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan.

Fecofa president Veron Mosengo-Omba said many supporters risk losing money after buying expensive World Cup tickets.

“We asked FIFA to consider refunds because the tickets are very expensive,” Mosengo-Omba told BBC Sport Africa.

“They are being punished because they cannot enter the US to support their team.”

FIFA said it would review the request, although its standard policy usually encourages fans to resell or transfer tickets instead of receiving refunds.

The Leopards will begin their Group K campaign against Portugal in Houston on 17 June before facing Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Uzbekistan in Atlanta.

Many Congolese supporters are now expected to travel only to the Mexico fixture because of the US restrictions.

Despite the travel challenges affecting fans, the DR Congo national team is not impacted. Most players and technical staff are based outside the country, while officials from DR Congo have already travelled abroad to satisfy quarantine requirements.

The team also cancelled a planned training camp in Kinshasa and will instead prepare in Belgium before travelling to Texas.

DR Congo became the first sub-Saharan African nation to play at the FIFA World Cup when the country, then known as Zaire, appeared at the 1974 tournament.

Mosengo-Omba described the country’s return to the global stage after 52 years as “the resurrection of football” in DR Congo.

Meanwhile, health authorities continue to battle the latest Ebola outbreak, which has reportedly caused hundreds of suspected infections and deaths across parts of Central and East Africa.

Mosengo-Omba urged the international community not to panic, saying DR Congo has extensive experience handling Ebola outbreaks.

“The world does not need to be afraid,” he said.