Eritrea’s AFCON participation uncertain amid player disappearances

Eritrea’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations preliminaries is uncertain after seven of its ten local players went missing following their victory over Eswatini on March 31. The players disappeared while traveling from Eswatini to Eritrea via South Africa and Egypt, leaving only three of the local squad members to return home. This incident highlights a troubling pattern of defections among Eritrean athletes, driven largely by the country’s restrictive military service policies.

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