Seven Eritrean Players Go Missing After International friendly 

Seven players from Eritrea’s national football team failed to return home after their recent victory over Eswatini. While some teammates flew back via South Africa, the missing players are believed to have absconded, with reports suggesting some may still be in South Africa.

This incident comes despite the team’s success in qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations group stages for the first time in 19 years. Only a few home-based players have returned, including the captain.

Such cases are not new, as Eritrean athletes have repeatedly refused to return home after international events, often linked to concerns about the country’s repressive conditions. The latest incident has dampened celebrations of the team’s achievement and continues a long pattern of similar disappearances in Eritrean football.