This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
On October 2, 2019, the Eritrean under 20s national football team was scheduled to face Kenya in a Cecafa tournament match in Uganda. However, the encounter was marred by confusion after five Eritrean players disappeared.
The players, including first-choice goalkeeper Girmay Hanibal, Simon Asmelash, Deyben Gbtsawi Hintseab, Hermon Fessehaye Yohannes, and Mewael Tesfai Yosief, were reported to have fled from their hotel room in Jinja in an attempt to seek asylum.
According to reports, the five players missed a training session on October 1, with head coach Haile Efrem Alemseghed suggesting they were unwell. However, it was later revealed that they had absconded.
As a result, coach Alemseghed had to contend with a lack of squad depth, with only 14 players available for selection in the match against Kenya.
The incident led to increased security around the team's hotel, with efforts made to prevent further players from fleeing.
This is not the first time Eritrean footballers have taken advantage of foreign trips to seek asylum, with cases on the rise in recent years.
