Eritrea’s historic victory turns sour as seven players vanish

Seven players from the Eritrea national football team have reportedly not returned home after their team beat Eswatini 2–1 in an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match.

A source close to the team told the BBC that while part of the squad traveled back through South Africa, seven players are believed to have disappeared.

Eritrea’s win gave them a 4–1 aggregate victory and a spot in the AFCON qualifying group stage for the first time in 19 years.

Out of the 24 players in the squad, only 10 are based in Eritrea. So far, only three including team captain Ablelom Teklezghi have returned home.

The missing players include goalkeeper Kubrom Solomon and winger Medhanie Redie, and their exact whereabouts are unknown, though some may still be in South Africa.

The disappearance has overshadowed what should have been a major sporting achievement. State media in Eritrea gave little information about the team’s return, and planned celebrations were canceled.

Photos released during a stopover in Cairo showed some players being welcomed by embassy officials and Eritrean community members, but only those who continued to Asmara were present.

This is part of a recurring pattern where Eritrean athletes fail to return home after international trips.

In 2019, seven under-20 players went missing in Uganda, and in earlier years, other senior and junior teams also failed to return from matches in Botswana, Kenya, and Uganda.