Seven members of the Eritrean national football team have not returned home with their winning teammates after they recently defeated Eswatini, according to those with knowledge of the incident. They captured an impressive 2-1 away victory against Eswatini, allowing them to claim a dominant 4-1 aggregate victory to reach the Africa Cup of Nations group stage of qualification for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Yet, amidst the success, there are reports of absent players from the side. Some of the squad traveled through South Africa back home, yet the missing seven are believed to have not returned. Just a handful out of the squad of 24, of which the majority of players are based outside Eritrea, have so far made their way back to Asmara. Two of the absent players include goalkeeper Kubrom Solomon and seasoned winger Medhanie Redie. Among the few based in Eritrea, captain Ablelom Teklezghi has returned.
State media, where victories for the national side are usually marked by open events welcoming them back home, have remained conspicuously quiet about the success of the Eritrean national side. A welcome home party was apparently cancelled following reports that some of the players did not return and later, photos that appeared on websites showed some of the team having made a stop off in Cairo, where they met representatives from the embassy and community and then travelled on their way.
In the past, in what has become a familiar pattern with Eritrean sportsmen playing away from home, numerous players – and sometimes entire squads – have chosen not to return home after international tournaments.
