Seven players of the Eritrea national football team have reportedly gone missing in South Africa after refusing to return home following their country’s historic progress in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The incident comes only days after Eritrea clinched a 2-1 victory over Eswatini to reach the group stage of the qualifiers for the first time in 19 years.
But that success has now been overshadowed by the disappearance of several players from the travelling team.
Reports say only three of the 10 home-based players who made the trip have returned to Eritrea. They are Ablelom Teklezgi, Nahom Tadese and Romel Abdu.
The other seven players are believed to have gone into hiding, worrying football authorities and drawing wider attention.
Such cases are not new in Eritrean football, with some players choosing not to return home during trips. People often connect this to wider social and economic challenges, though no official reason has been given.
The situation leaves the Eritrean National Football Federation facing uncertainty as it prepares for upcoming matches, with the absence of key players likely to affect team selection.
By: Pascal Amoah
