The players disappeared after helping Eritrea reach AFCON qualifying stages for the first time in 19 years…reports Newsdesk
Seven members of Eritrea’s national football squad have failed to return home following a historic victory that ended the country’s 19-year absence from Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
A source close to the team told the BBC the players absconded after the squad’s 2-1 win over Eswatini — a result that sealed a 4-1 aggregate victory and marked one of Eritrean football’s most significant achievements in nearly two decades. While some teammates flew home via South Africa, the seven are believed to have remained behind, with reports suggesting some have been spotted in South Africa.
Those who have gone missing include goalkeeper Kubrom Solomon and veteran winger Medhanie Redie. Of the 24-man squad, only ten players were based in Eritrea, and just three of those — including team captain Ablelom Teklezghi — have returned home, sources in Asmara told BBC Tigrinya.
The disappearances have cast a shadow over what should have been a celebrated homecoming. Eritrea’s state media, which has previously greeted returning teams with considerable fanfare, has been notably silent. A reception had been planned but was cancelled after news of the missing players emerged, sources told the BBC.
The incident follows a troubling pattern stretching back nearly two decades. In 2019, seven players from Eritrea’s under-20 side went missing in Uganda. In 2015, ten senior players refused to return after a World Cup qualifier in Botswana. In 2013, fifteen players and the team doctor sought asylum in Uganda, and in 2009 virtually the entire senior squad failed to return from Kenya.
Rights groups have long described Eritrea’s government as deeply repressive — a characterisation Asmara rejects. Hundreds of thousands of Eritreans have sought asylum abroad despite the country’s small population.
