Seven members of the Eritrea national football team have reportedly failed to return home after their side's victory over the Eswatini national football team in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
A source close to the squad told the BCC on Monday that although part of the delegation travelled back through South Africa after the match, seven players are believed to have absconded.
The incident followed Eritrea's 2-1 win away to Eswatini, sealing a 4-1 aggregate triumph and booking a place in the qualifying group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 19 years.
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According to sources, only 10 of the 24 players in the squad were based in Eritrea, and just three of them--including team captain Ablelom Teklezghi--have since returned to the country.
While the exact whereabouts of the missing players remain unknown, there are indications that some may still be in South Africa. Those yet to return include goalkeeper Kubrom Solomon and experienced winger Medhanie Redie.
The development has dampened what had been a major sporting milestone, with state-run media in Eritrea offering little information about the team's homecoming.
Plans to host a reception for the victorious squad were reportedly shelved after news of the players' disappearance emerged.
Photos released by officials showed some members of the team being welcomed by embassy representatives and Eritrean community members in Cairo during a stopover. However, only those who later continued the journey to Asmara were present.
The latest incident mirrors a recurring trend involving Eritrean athletes who fail to return after international assignments.
In 2019, seven players from the country's under-20 side went missing following a regional competition in Uganda. Four years earlier, 10 senior players declined to return home after a World Cup qualifying match in Botswana.
Earlier cases include 15 players and a team doctor granted asylum in Uganda in 2013, while in 2009, nearly the entire senior squad failed to return after travelling to Kenya.
