"Un mystère": sept internationaux érythréens portés disparus après un match de qualification pour la CAN 2027
Seven Eritrean internationals were unavailable after Eritrea's trip to Eswatini on March 31 for a qualifying match for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Seven Eritrean players are missing after playing a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Lobamba (Eswatini), an official from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) told AFP on Wednesday.
"This incident is a mystery. Eritrea beat Eswatini on March 31 in Lobamba and nobody knows for sure what happened next," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"We believe that all the players left Eswatini for South Africa (where the team was stopping over on its way back via Egypt). But when the delegation arrived in Cairo, seven players were missing."
A security concern is cited.
A member of the Eritrean community in South Africa told AFP that he had seen several missing players in Johannesburg but refused to say more, citing security concerns.
The United Nations estimates that over the past twenty years, some 80 Eritreans linked to football (players, coaches, delegates) have defected during a match played abroad.
The unlimited military service in force in the East African country governed since independence in 1993 by Isaias Afwerki is considered one of the main reasons for these defections.
These seven new cases were among the ten internationals playing in Eritrea selected for this match; the other 14 players on the list of 24 called up for this match play in foreign leagues.
![[Billet d’humour] Diomaye Président : Mbour, le test qui interroge](https://image.seneweb.com/content/news/2026-19-10//thumb_1260x800_6a008342c328b_0bscHsJLlN.jpeg)
Commentaires (1)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.