(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Leopards are returning to football’s biggest stage for the first time since 1974, but the public health emergency declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 16 May is threatening to stop supporters from travelling to the US.
Officials say there are more than 900 suspected cases of Ebola in central and East Africa, and 223 suspected deaths, since the outbreak was declared.
The vast majority of those cases and fatalities have been in DR Congo, and the US embassy in the capital Kinshasa has suspended visa services.
While the WHO has not advised on imposing travel restrictions, the US has barred entry from non-Americans who have been in DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.
“We asked Fifa if this is possible to take this into consideration, because the tickets are little bit expensive,” Veron Mosengo-Omba, the president of DR Congo’s football federation (Fecofa), told BBC Sport Africa.
“They are punished because they cannot get [in to the US] to see the World Cup to support their team.
“We don’t want our supporters who love football, who love the World Cup, to lose everything.”
The US is hosting the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, with tickets as much as seven times more expensive than the 2022 tournament in Qatar because of Fifa’s dynamic pricing model.
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The Leopards face Portugal in their Group K opener on 17 June, meaning any fans travelling from DR Congo to watch the match in Houston must effectively depart the country on Tuesday to satisfy US entry restrictions.
In response to Fecofa’s request, Fifa told the BBC it “will look into it in due course”.
The world governing body’s standard policy dictates tickets are listed for resale or transferred to another individual rather than refunded, reserving the latter option for exceptional circumstances like match cancellations.
DR Congo’s second group fixture against Colombia will take place in Guadalajara, and the bulk of Congolese fans are now expected to redirect their travel plans to Mexico.
With their final match against Uzbekistan back in the US in Atlanta, supporters will be hoping the side can finish second in the group to secure a last-32 tie in Toronto, Canada.
Despite the fan lock-out, the team itself remains unaffected by the US’ entry restrictions.
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All 26 players in Sebastien Desabre’s squad, and most of the technical staff, are based outside of the country.
Team officials who are from DR Congo have already left the country to meet the 21-day quarantine requirement.
The Leopards did have to cancel a pre-tournament training camp in Kinshasa and are assembling in Belgium for friendlies before heading to their base in Texas.
Fifa told the BBC it is in “close communication” with Fecofa, World Cup host governments and relevant health agencies to ensure medical and security compliance.