Eritrea’s Players Disappear In South Africa After 4-1 Win Over Eswatini In AFCON Qualifier

Eritrea’s participation in the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers is in doubt after seven players disappeared following a match in Eswatini last month.

The players absconded after Eritrea secured a 4-1 aggregate victory over Eswatini on 31 March. The win earned the team a place in the group-stage qualifiers for the tournament.

Of the 24 players in the squad, only 10 were based in Eritrea, and only three of those returned home.

According to an official from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the seven players are believed to have disappeared when the team arrived in South Africa while travelling back to Eritrea via Egypt.

“This incident is a mystery. Eritrea beat Eswatini on March 31 in Lobamba, and no one seems certain what happened thereafter,” he said.

“We believe all the players left Eswatini for South Africa. But when the travelling party landed in Cairo, seven players were missing.”

Eritrea’s newly appointed coach, Hesham Yakan, who played for Egypt in the 1990 World Cup, selected a 24-man squad for the two-leg qualifier against Eswatini.

The team had 14 overseas-based players from Australia, England, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Ali Suleiman, who plays in Egypt, scored three goals across the two legs (winning 2-0 and 2-1).

Due to a lack of international-standard stadiums at home, Eritrea “hosted” their home leg in Meknes, Morocco.

The defectors included veteran midfielder Medhane Redie and striker Amanuel Benhur, joining a long list of Eritrean athletes who have abandoned national teams while abroad.

Only three local players, captain Ablelom Teklezghi, Nahom Tadese, and Romel Abdu, returned to the capital, Asmara.

The win placed Eritrea into the group-stage draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Player defections have become a common occurrence for Eritrea. Over the past 20 years, the United Nations estimates that around 80 players, coaches, and officials have sought asylum during trips to countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Botswana.

The primary reason cited for these escapes is the country’s policy of indefinite military service following school.

Eritrea has been led by President Isaias Afwerki since 1993, and his government is frequently described by human rights organisations as “highly repressive.”

More: Al Jazeera