Seven members of the Eritrea national football team have reportedly disappeared in South Africa, refusing to return home following the country’s historic qualification for the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The development comes just days after Eritrea celebrated a major milestone, reaching this stage of the competition for the first time in 19 years.
However, the achievement has been overshadowed by the sudden absence of a majority of the locally based squad.
According to reports, only three of the 10 home-based players who traveled for the assignment—Ablelom Teklezgi, Nahom Tadese, and Romel Abdu—have returned to Eritrea. The remaining seven players are said to have gone into hiding, sparking concerns within football authorities and raising broader questions beyond the sport.
Incidents of this nature are not unprecedented in Eritrean football, with players in the past seeking to remain abroad during international trips. Analysts often link such decisions to wider socio-economic factors, though no official statement has yet been issued clarifying the circumstances surrounding the latest case.
The situation now leaves the Eritrean National Football Federation facing uncertainty as it prepares for upcoming fixtures, with the absence of key players likely to impact squad planning.
As investigations continue, the focus remains on both the welfare of the missing players and the implications for Eritrea’s long-awaited return to competitive continental football.
