What should have been one of the proudest moments in Eritrean football has turned into a familiar national headache.
Seven members of the national team failed to return home after their side beat Eswatini 2-1 in an away match, completing a 4-1 aggregate victory that booked Eritrea a place in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group stage for the first time in nearly 20 years.
While part of the 24-man squad flew back via South Africa, the missing players simply stayed behind. Only a handful made it to Asmara.
Among those who did not return are goalkeeper Kubrom Solomon and experienced winger Medhanie Redie.
Team captain Ablelom Teklezghi was one of the few home-based players confirmed to have come back.State media, which usually celebrates national team wins with fanfare and public events, has stayed almost completely silent.
Plans for a grand welcome reception were quietly dropped as soon as news of the disappearances broke. Some members of the delegation were later pictured stopping in Cairo, where they were met by embassy staff and members of the Eritrean community before continuing their journey.
This is far from the first time Eritrean players have chosen not to come home after playing abroad.
Over the years, several players — and sometimes entire squads — have gone missing during international trips.Similar incidents happened in 2019 when members of the under-20 team vanished during a tournament in Uganda. In 2015, senior players did not return after a World Cup qualifier in Botswana. In 2013, more than a dozen players and officials sought asylum in Uganda, and back in 2009 nearly the whole senior squad failed to return from a trip to Kenya.Many observers link the pattern to the tough conditions inside Eritrea.
Human rights groups have repeatedly described the country as highly restrictive, with tight controls on daily life — claims the government strongly denies.
Eritrea has also seen large numbers of its citizens leaving in search of better opportunities and safety elsewhere.For Eritrean fans, the latest episode is bittersweet.
The team finally achieved something special on the pitch after years of struggle, only for the spotlight to shift from sporting glory to yet another story of players choosing to stay away.As investigations continue and the football federation stays quiet, many are wondering how long this cycle will keep repeating every time the national team travels abroad.
For now, what was meant to be a moment of celebration has left Eritrean football facing the same old question: how do you build a future when so many of your best talents keep walking away?