Photo: Wikimedia Commons (free licence), cropped and styled by SportNestra — author and licence
TP Mazembe and Club Africain are due to meet in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Saturday, 17 October 2026, in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the African Champions League. The match is being prepared as the country faces an Ebola outbreak, prompting questions about its potential effect on the atmosphere around the fixture.
The outbreak has reached 65 health zones across seven provinces. It is among the most severe epidemic waves the country has experienced. The latest reported health figures put confirmed Ebola cases above 9,000 and deaths at 4,381, in a tally dated 11 October.
In Lubumbashi, there has been no official confirmation of cases in the city or of exceptional health measures that could affect the match date or venue. Updates from the health authorities and the relevant sports bodies will therefore be important in assessing how the situation around this continental fixture develops.
The match is scheduled as part of the second qualifying round, but the health situation adds a particular dimension to its build-up. The outbreak’s figures and geographic spread continue to raise questions about the conditions in which the two clubs will approach the meeting in Lubumbashi.
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