Eritrea's national football team celebrated a historic return to the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group stages for the first time in 19 years after defeating Eswatini 2-1, securing a 4-1 aggregate victory. However, the triumph has been overshadowed by the disappearance of seven players, who failed to return home following the match. While the rest of the squad travelled back via South Africa, the seven players absconded and are now believed to be in the country. Among those missing are goalkeeper Kubrom Solomon and veteran winger Medhanie Redie. Only three of the 10 Eritrean-based players, including captain Abelom Teklezghi, have returned to Asmara. The rest of the squad, largely made up of diaspora players based in Europe and elsewhere, dispersed after the match. Eritrea's state media, typically vocal after national achievements, has remained silent on the team's return. A planned celebratory reception was reportedly cancelled after news of the players' disappearance emerged. The team's spokesperson shared images on social media of returning players and staff being welcomed by Eritrean embassy officials and community members in Cairo, where they stopped en route to Asmara. The players seen in those photos were the only ones confirmed to have returned to Eritrea. Human rights groups have previously described Eritrea's government as repressive, a claim the government denies, and many Eritreans have sought asylum abroad in recent years. This incident follows a pattern of athletes from the country not returning home after international competitions.
The absence of seven players, including key figures like Kubrom Solomon and Medhanie Redie, undermines what should have been a landmark moment for Eritrean football. Their disappearance casts doubt on the sustainability of a national team increasingly reliant on diaspora talent, especially when political realities make returning home a personal risk. The silence from state media and the cancellation of a public celebration speak louder than any official statement. This is less a story of sporting failure than of football entangled with the weight of national policy.
