The Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled its pre-World Cup training camp in the capital, Kinshasa, because of an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country.

The virus is thought to have killed more than 130, including a person whose case was confirmed on Thursday in the South Kivu province, signalling the spread of the virus from the outbreak’s epicentre.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”, but said it was not at pandemic level.

A spokesperson for DR Congo’s football team told reporters that the training camp, part of the preparations for the team’s first World Cup since 1974, would now take place in Belgium.

Jerry Kalemo added that DR Congo’s pre-tournament games in Europe would go ahead as planned.

The Leopards are due to play friendly matches against Denmark, on 3 June in Belgium, and Chile, on 9 June in Spain, ahead of the World Cup finals.

They play their first match of the tournament in the US city of Houston on 17 June against Portugal.

“Originally scheduled to take place in the capital on May 26, the Leopards’ public training session will not be held after all. This decision follows reports of suspected Ebola cases in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri,” a message posted by the team on social media said.

There is also uncertainty over whether the team’s French coach, Sébastien Desabre, will go ahead with a press conference scheduled to take place in the capital city, the statement added.

A spokesperson for the DR Congo team told the Reuters news agency that the training camp had been cancelled due to travel restrictions imposed by the US, who are hosting the World Cup this summer, along with Mexico and Canada.

The US’ public health agency has banned entry from non-Americans who have been in the DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, in response to the Ebola outbreak.

All DR Congo’s players are based outside the central African country and will therefore not be affected by the restrictions now the training camp has been cancelled.

Some team staff based in DR Congo left the country on Wednesday, Kalemo told the Associated Press, ahead of the 21-day deadline.

However, some fans and journalists, who applied for US visas via the Congolese ministry of sport, are concerned because the US embassy in DR Congo has paused its visa services in light of the Ebola outbreak.

A sports reporter from the national broadcaster questioned why they should be stopped from attending the World Cup when there have not yet been any reported Ebola cases where they are based, in Kinshasa.

Kinshasa is roughly 1,800 km (1,120m) away from the eastern Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak.

“Why should the whole country be banned?” the journalist asked.

Michel Nkuka Mbolandinga, a supporter who has gained prominence for impersonating former Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, told the BBC: “I am confident that I will be travelling, but I don’t know how far the ministry is with the applications.”

The training camp in Kinshasa was supposed to have been attended by fans, along with President Felix Tshisekedi, according to Reuters.

On Wednesday, the WHO said 139 people were thought to have died, out of 600 suspected cases. However, on the same day, Congolese health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba told state broadcaster RTNC TV that authorities had registered 159 deaths.

On Thursday the M23, a rebel group that controls parts of eastern DR Congo, said it had confirmed the first case of Ebola in the South Kivu province, which is hundreds of kilometres away from Ituri.

The 28-year-old, from the city of Kisangani, had died before the diagnosis was confirmed, rebel officials said.

The outbreak has been caused by a rare species of Ebola known as Bundibugyo. There is currently no vaccine for this species and the WHO has said it could take up to nine months for a jab to be ready.

The Nigeria Squash Federation has stepped up preparations ahead of the 2026 World Junior Team Squash Championship scheduled to take place in Ontario, Canada, from July 20 to July 31, with officials expressing optimism about the country’s participation at the global event.

President of the federation, Wilson Egberipou, confirmed that training programmes have been intensified as Nigeria looks to field a competitive squad in one of the sport’s most prestigious junior competitions, organised by the World Squash Federation and featuring some of the best U-19 players from across the world.

Egberipou explained that Nigeria intends to present a balanced team comprising four male and four female players, adding that the selection process is aimed at ensuring equal representation and competitive depth across both categories.

“We have intensified our preparations. It’s a very important championship,” he said.

According to him, participation in the competition will provide Nigerian players with valuable experience against top-level international opposition, which he believes is essential for their long-term growth in the sport.

“These players need global experience. This is part of long-term development as Nigeria’s participation is part of a broader developmental strategy aimed at strengthening the country’s presence in international squash through consistent youth engagement and exposure to elite tournaments,” he added.

The federation president expressed confidence that the championship would play a key role in accelerating the progress of the selected athletes as they compete on the world stage.

“It will help their progress greatly,” he said.

Nigeria’s preparations continue as stakeholders maintain that regular exposure to top-level competition remains crucial for nurturing future champions in the sport.

The World Squash Junior Championships is organised annually by the World Squash Federation and features players aged U-19, with Egypt continuing to dominate recent editions.

Egypt’s Mohamed Zakaria is the two-time defending men’s champion, having defeated Korea’s Na Joo-young in 2024 and compatriot Marwan Assal in 2025, while Egypt’s Amina Orfi has been equally dominant in the women’s event, winning four consecutive titles since 2022.

Nigeria have been drawn in Group L of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where they will face Madagascar, co-hosts Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau for a place at the tournament.

The draw was conducted at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo on Tuesday, with former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong serving as one of the draw assistants.

A total of 48 teams will participate in the qualifiers, with the draw producing 12 groups and 24 teams qualifying for the finals.

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will host the tournament from June 19 to July 17, 2027.

Nigeria were drawn from Pot 1 and handed a relatively favourable path to the tournament.

However, due to the presence of Tanzania — who have qualified automatically as co-hosts — in the group, only the top team will qualify for the finals.

The same applies to other groups containing any of the co-hosts, while the top two teams from the remaining groups will qualify.

Among the notable groups, 2023 champions Côte d’Ivoire were drawn alongside Ghana, The Gambia and Somalia in Group C.

Winners of the 2025 edition, Senegal, will face Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia in Group J, while 2025 AFCON hosts Morocco will face Gabon, Niger and Lesotho.

The qualifying campaign will be played across three international windows. The opening two matchdays are scheduled for the FIFA window from September 21 to October 6, 2026, before Matchdays Three and Four take place from November 9 to 17, 2026.

The final two rounds of matches will be played from March 22 to 30, 2027, when the line-up for the tournament is expected to be completed.