During the preliminary qualifiers for the 2027 AFCON, seven players from the Eritrean national team disappeared from their hotel and have not been seen since.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred in Eritrean soccer, which is often marked by players fleeing their home country during international trips to escape its rigid political and social climate.
According to reports, this escape was orchestrated with the help of an intermediary agent.
The agent reportedly approached the players, promising them career opportunities with foreign clubs and a significant improvement in their living conditions.
These assurances of financial stability and safety are said to have convinced the athletes to take the plunge.
This incident once again highlights the vulnerability of the Eritrean Football Federation in the face of informal recruitment networks.
By fleeing the qualifiers, these seven players join a long list of Eritrean athletes who have chosen exile, preferring the uncertainty of refugee status to the limited prospects offered by local soccer.
