Ochoa set for sixth World Cup as Mexico name squad
May 31 : Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is set to become the first Mexican player to feature at six World Cups after the 40-year-old was named in Javier Aguirre's squad for the tournament on Sunday.
Colombia Sport News
DR Congo end 52-year World Cup absence amid health, security crises
JOHANNESBURG: Democratic Republic of Congo will return to the World Cup in June after a 52-year absence as the vast central Africa nation reels from health and security crises. A deadly Ebola outbreak in the east of the country had recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected deaths by May 24. The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the true spread of the epidemic, thought to have circulated under the radar for some time, is likely much wider. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus from Ethiopia is heading to DR Congo, pledging to do “everything in my power” to conquer the outbreak. Fortunately, none of the 26 stars chosen to represent DR Congo at the four-yearly global showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico, play in the affected areas. French coach Sebastien Desabre selected 24 players from 11 European countries, one with a club in the United Arab Emirates and one with Egyptian outfit Pyramids. As the Ebola epidemic spreads and scientists race to develop a vaccine to combat it, fighting between government troops and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia has been raging. The mineral-rich east of the country has been scarred by violence from various armed groups for more than three decades. From 2021, the M23 has seized swathes of territory and fighting has stepped up since the beginning of last year. The national football team, known as the Leopards, are training in Europe ahead of Group K showdowns with Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan. Having survived a marathon 13-match qualifying program from Mauritania to Mexico, Desabre and his squad want to erase memories of 1974 in then West Germany. Then called Zaire, the first sub-Saharan qualifiers for the World Cup suffered a
Toronto's multi-culturalism on full display for city's World Cup trophy visit
TORONTO, May 25 : Hundreds of fans draped in the colours of countries from across the globe gathered outside Toronto's city hall on Monday to catch a glimpse of the World Cup trophy, offering a preview of the multicultural spectacle the city promises to deliver when the tournament kicks off next month.
Rodriguez, Diaz headline Colombia World Cup squad
May 25 : Captain James Rodriguez and Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz headline Colombia's World Cup squad named by coach Nestor Lorenzo on Monday for next month's tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
DR Congo stick to pre-World Cup plan to meet Denmark, Chile in friendlies
KINSHASA: The Democratic Republic of Congo have no plans to change their warm-up preparations for the World Cup despite a warning from the United States that the team must isolate for 21 days before arriving in the country, a team official said on Saturday. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed to ESPN on Friday that the Congolese delegation needed to maintain a bubble where they are training in Belgium and isolate for 21 days or risk being denied entry after a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus in the central African country. The Congolese team are to be based in Houston at the tournament and will play an opening Group K fixture against Portugal on June 17, followed by matches against Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and against Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta. “We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani said. “We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the United States. We cannot be any clearer.” But a team spokesperson said that at this stage there was no change to their schedule in the coming weeks, which includes a friendly against Denmark in Liege, Belgium, on June 3 and another against Chile in Cadiz, Spain, six days later. The team had planned a three-day trip to Kinshasa next week as a celebratory send-off before heading to their first World Cup in 52 years but that was canceled before the US warning. “We have kept our training program.
DR Congo will not change World Cup preparations despite US warning
May 23 : The Democratic Republic of Congo have no plans to change their preparations for the 2026 World Cup despite a warning from the United States that the team must isolate for 21 days before arriving in the country, a team official said on Saturday.
US says Congo team must isolate before arriving for World Cup
WASHINGTON: Due to an Ebola outbreak in their country, members of Congo’s national soccer team must isolate before entering the US for the World Cup. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed to ESPN on Friday that the Congolese delegation must maintain a bubble where they currently are training in Belgium and isolate for 21 days or risk being denied entry. Congo is in Group K for this summer’s World Cup in North America. Its first game is against Portugal on June 17 in Houston, followed by matches against Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and against Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta. “We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani said, per ESPN.
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