The Eritrean national football team pose for a group photo before the start of the match against Tanzania,
at the Nyayo National stadium in Nairobi
Posted on 12/16/2009 8:33:26 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Entire Eritrean national football team has gone missing after failing to board a flight home following a match in Kenya.
Only the squad's coach and one other official arrived back in Eritrea after the team was knocked out in the quarter finals of the CECAFA tournament for east and central Africa.
The Eritrean national football team pose for a group photo before the start of the match against Tanzania,
at the Nyayo National stadium in Nairobi
The twelve players are believed to be hiding somewhere in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, where there are tens of thousands who have fled Eritrea's government.
Nicholas Musonye, general secretary of CECAFA, said: "The tour guide waited for them in vain at the airport on Saturday when the team was (due to travel) back home.
"We think they are hiding somewhere with the intention of going somewhere, or just intending to remain here. We have alerted the authorities to help track them down."
Mr Musonye said the president of Eritrea's football association, Tesfaye Gebreyessus, had confirmed the team did not return after losing 4-0 to Tanzania.
Eritrean government rules state that any athlete competing abroad must lodge a bond of several thousand pounds before leaving the country to guarantee their return.
This is not the first time that Eritrean sportsmen and women have failed to find their flights home.
Britain granted six runners political asylum after they contacted Home Office representatives during a cross country championship meet in Edinburgh last year.
Four footballers with the Eritrean Red Sea club went missing in Nairobi in 2006 after an African Champions League game.
Critics point to repressive governance, compulsory military service and failure to tackle poverty as reasons for the growing exodus.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Hopefully they aren’t having the kinds of problems the Uruguayan rugby team had after boarding a flight.
hmmm....more reasons to be glad I was born in America! Thank you Father in heaven!
Prayers up.
Ditto That, thank you Jesus
“Critics point to repressive governance, compulsory military service and failure to tackle poverty as reasons for the growing exodus.”
Smart people, not coming here. Take out the military part, and they wouldn’t know the difference from home.
Probably find their bones strewn around one of those big pots sitting on a cold cooking fire in the jungle.
Hahaha and all the well-fed village children wearing new green soccer uniforms...
that's still something the RATS - with Rangel at the head - still want here.
We've got an incredible military without the draft - not a lot of j effing scary's looking to get a scratch and demanding a band aid, shooting into a basket of rice and getting some in his butt - there's 2 of his requisite Purple Hearts for the 3 to demand getting out.
I really don't know how the man can look himself in the mirror let alone show his face in public - arrg, the face.
Eritrean? I thought I was aware of every country on Earth, somehow I missed this one. Where is this land?
I think it split off from Ethiopia
They were probably asked for dinner some place....
That's correct, I used to work with someone from Eritrea.
Eritria did indeed split off from Ethiopia after a 3 decades-long civil war.
Took the whole beach with them, too, leaving Ethipia landlocked.
Near Urethra.
Really? I think that covers all bases.
God. Imagine Kenya being the better of your options.
I worked at a restaurant with a beautiful Eritrean girl. Home of Haile Selassie, worshipped as God incarnate among followers of the Rastafari movement (Eritrea, not the restaurant).
Eritreans standout because of their lighter skin, their high cheekbones, and slender builds....very handsome people....Ethiopians are also good looking but not as much as the Eritreans....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.