Scandal in the Eritrean national team: Seven players refuse to return home after historic qualification for AFCON 2027

A major scandal is erupting around the Eritrean national team. As reported by Micky Jnr, seven players from the squad have refused to return home after their match against Eswatini, choosing instead to stay abroad.

This concerns a group of ten players who compete in the domestic league. Of those, only three—Ablalom Teklezgi, Nahom Tadesse, and Romel Abdu—have returned to Eritrea, while the rest decided not to go back and remain in South Africa.

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The situation is particularly striking given the team’s recent sporting success. Eritrea’s national team has reached the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for the first time in 19 years—a major milestone for the country’s football scene.