Seven Eritrean football players have gone missing following the national team’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying victory against Eswatini last week, according to coach Hesham Yakan and an advocate for Eritreans living abroad.
This year marked Eritrea’s return to the AFCON qualifiers for the first time since 2008, after previously preventing its teams from travelling internationally due to a mass defection of players from its under-20 squad to Uganda in 2019.
“Most of them are substitute players,” Yakan shared with Reuters. They have been unaccounted for since the second leg of the match on March 31, and he suspects they are seeking economic prospects in more affluent nations.
“I don’t believe they’ll continue with their football careers,” noted Yakan, a former defender for Egypt who participated in the 1990 World Cup.
The Eritrean squad included several players affiliated with clubs in Australia, Germany, Norway, and Sweden, culminating in a 4-1 aggregate triumph with a 2-1 win at Eswatini’s Somhlolo National Stadium on March 31.
George Ghebreslassie, an Eritrean exile and head of a non-profit organisation aiding Eritrean refugees, also verified the players’ departure.
“This is quite common,” remarked Ghebreslassie, who fled Eritrea in 1999.
“It highlights the dire circumstances we face in Eritrea. We had hoped for change, yet nothing progresses. People feel despair in their own homeland.”
Yemane Gebremeskel, Eritrea’s Minister of Information, did not provide a comment when reached by Reuters. Meanwhile, a representative from the Eritrean National Football Federation did not respond to an email seeking a statement.
“These players are impoverished. It was their first experience flying,” disclosed a source familiar with the team. “This is about seeking employment and enhancing their earnings.”
Eritrea has been under the leadership of President Isaias Afwerki since its independence in 1993, with numerous human rights organisations describing his regime as oppressive.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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