In brief
Following a significant win in an international match, seven players from the Eritrean football team have failed to return home, reportedly absconding in South Africa. This incident reflects a troubling trend where athletes from Eritrea choose to remain abroad due to the country's oppressive regime. Rights groups allege that the government of Eritrea maintains a highly repressive atmosphere, which has driven many citizens to seek asylum in other countries.
Seven players from the Eritrean football squad that scored a historic victory in Eswatini last week have failed to return home, a source close to the team has told the BBC. While some of their teammates flew back from Eswatini's neighbour, South Africa, the seven are said to have absconded. There have been several cases when Eritreans competing in various sports have not gone home after international fixtures in recent years. Rights groups have described the government in Asmara as highly repressive - a charge which the authorities reject. Despite its small population, hundreds of thousands of Eritreans have sought asylum abroad. The news of the players absconding will come as a blow to the team, which, following its 2-1 win in Eswatini and 4-1 victory on aggregate, was celebrating a return to the qualifying group stages for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 19 years. Only 10 of the 24-man squad were based in Eritrea and just three of those players, including team captain Ablelom Teklezghi, have now returned, sources in Asmara told BBC Tigrinya. While it is unclear where the missing players have gone, reports say some of them have been seen in South Africa. Those who have absconded include goalkeeper Kubrom Solomon and veteran winger Medhanie Redie. Eritrea's state-owned media outlets have been unusually quiet on the victorious team's return, which would normally be accompanied by a big fanfare. Sources say preparations were made for a similar reception but were canceled following news of the disappearance of the players. The spokesperson of Eritrea's Sport and Culture Commission posted pictures of returning players and staff in Egypt, where a reception was organized. They stopped in Cairo on their way back to Eritrea, but the only players seen in those pictures were the ones who then flew to Asmara. Many Eritrean fans had been hoping that the victory over Eswatini would lead to a renaissance of Eritrean football, but for many, the latest news has a familiar ring. Over the last two decades, the national team has been scarred by a series of events where players, or even entire squads, have disappeared either before or after games abroad. In 2019, seven players from the Eritrean under-20 side went missing in Uganda. In 2015, 10 senior squad players refused to return home after a World Cup qualifying match in Botswana. In 2007, 15 players and the team doctor were granted asylum in Uganda after they absconded. And in 2009, almost the entire senior team failed to return home from Kenya.
