DR Congo fans say travel ban gives ‘disadvantage’ in World Cup

The scenes at Houston’s FIFA Fan Festival on Wednesday were especially festive, as fans from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Portugal gathered to watch their respective national teams face off in a game taking place miles away at Houston Stadium. DRC representation was not as large as Portugal’s, but they were definitely louder and prouder, establishing themselves as the life of the party. Despite the joyous occasion and celebratory atmosphere, for some, it was a bittersweet moment. 

DR Congo fans in Houston say, despite celebrating their country’s participation in the FIFA World Cup, they have been treated unfairly, citing visa denials keeping fans from fully supporting the team. 

The DRC is playing in its first World Cup in 52 years, but supporters say FIFA and the United States have unfairly targeted them over the Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the Congo. The DRC has not been able to bring over as many fans as other countries, creating a sense of disadvantage among those in the diaspora. 

“It’s kind of an unfair game. You can see that,” Lizine, a DR Congo fan living in Houston, and said. “They play like it’s only because of Ebola, just for Congolese not to come.”

In May, the DRC officially reported an outbreak of Ebola in the eastern provinces of DR Congo. On May 18, the CDC and Department of Homeland Security implemented enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions, and public health measures to prevent Ebola disease from entering the United States. The travel restrictions introduced a 21-day entry rule, requiring travelers from the Congo and other African countries to be 21 days removed from the country without any symptoms of the virus.

Beyond the rule, and even though the virus was found 2,000 kilometers away from the country’s capital city, Kinshasa, where most traveling fans reside, DRC fans feel that the limitations are purely political. 

“You can see it’s more red [Portugal] than blue [DRC]. They don’t have any issues,” said Marie Claire, friend of Lizine and DRC native visiting Houston by way of Maryland. “They get a visa. But us, at the last minute, we can’t get a visa, so we can’t support our team. It looks like we are already at a disadvantage.”

The country is already a massive underdog in the World Cup, but obstacles have made the fans and the national team’s journey tumultuous. The DRC national team, despite not having been to the Congo recently because they all play in Europe, had their pre-World Cup friendly against Spain called off because of the threat of Ebola. The DRC Sports minister, who was forced to serve a 21-day entry period in Europe, has claimed the U.S.’s travel restrictions have gone too far.

“Most of the people I know who are supposed to be here couldn’t get here because of the Ebola stuff going on,” said Kanda Mateta, a DRC fan visiting Houston. “And the funny thing is, Ebola is in the east of the country, and Kinshasa is in the far west, so there’s nothing. But many people couldn’t get here just because of that.”

The feeling of being unfairly treated isn’t unique to DR Congo this World Cup. African nations and countries like Haiti and Iran have all faced limited visas and difficulties entering the United States to support their national teams. 

President Donald Trump instituted a partial travel ban on Senegal in December, which put the African nation, along with the Ivory Coast, Iran, and Haiti, as the other World Cup participants whose citizens fall under restrictions. The bans suspended entry to the U.S. for immigrants and non-immigrants seeking business or tourism visas, which are necessary for fans attending the World Cup. 

Senegal captain and star defender Kalidou Koulibaly commented on African nations’ fans being prevented from attending the World Cup, questioning why Africa is being singled out.

“I think that every team can have their people, so I don’t understand why people from Africa cannot have their people,” Koulibaily said to The Athletic.

DRC fans expressed a sense of unity as a continent through shared difficulties during the World Cup. Claire indicated that both the DRC and the Republic of the Congo, as well as many nations in Africa, have come together to support one another. There is a concern that Africa could one day be completely left out.

“So it looks like Africa now is saying, ‘hey, we’re on our own. Let’s be together,'” Claire said. “It can be good, but it can be dangerous for the future. Because you don’t want to put one continent away, and one day we’re not there.”

Despite feeling ostracized and the ongoing conflict in the country, DRC fans were still hopeful and celebrating throughout their first World Cup match in 52 years. 

“With everything that’s going on in the Congo—challenges of the war, Ebola—this gives us some kind of a joy,” Mateta expressed.

Even when down a goal early in the first half, the joy of DRC fans at the festival never wavered. The excitement that came when DR Congo equalized against Portugal was only outmatched when the game ended in a 1-1 draw, a result no one believed was possible except the fans who had faith throughout. 

Fans from different countries with no ties to the DRC all joined in celebration, reveling in the African nation’s explosive first World Cup game in more than half a century. 

“That’s the thing. That’s the beautiful thing. We’re all united here, Portuguese, Congo,” Claire said.