Moments of uncertainty and high tension were recorded just 30 minutes ago at the Guadalajara Stadium (Akron) venue, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo national team was holding its official press conference. What happened at the Akron? The venue's emergency protocols were suddenly activated due to a fire alarm, forcing the immediate evacuation of players, coaching staff, and journalists. The incident occurred just as the African team's coach was answering questions from the international press about tomorrow's crucial match against Jamaica. The sound of the alarms interrupted the session, and FIFA security staff, following the strict guidelines of Zapopan's Civil Protection, proceeded to evacuate the conference room and adjacent areas to the meeting points in the parking lot. According to initial reports from emergency services at the stadium, the alarm was likely triggered by a failure in the smoke sensors located in one of the food concession areas on the ground floor, apparently caused by a minor short circuit in a piece of refrigeration equipment. The Congolese delegation is calm and has already returned to their locker rooms to continue with the field inspection,” sources close to the venue's administration informed. After a 15-minute inspection by Zapopan firefighters, it was determined that the facility is safe, and activities have partially resumed. This event, although quickly brought under control, occurs at a time of maximum vigilance, considering that for tomorrow's match, ticket sales have been reported as exhausted with 45,000 fans expected. FIFA and the Organizing Committee will conduct a thorough review of the detection systems during the night of this Monday to prevent a similar incident from tarnishing the grand final of the intercontinental playoff. To date, the Jamaica delegation, which had scheduled its subsequent practice, has not seen its itinerary altered, although access to the press area remains temporarily restricted while preventive maintenance work is completed. Fortunately, no actual fire or smoke that could have put the integrity of attendees at risk was detected. “It was a major scare, but the protocol worked perfectly.
