As football fans, we all choose a team and the majority keep this team close to their heart through thick and thin, and for many, through a lifetime. It’s the beauty of the sport. Internationally, there is the opportunity to support the nation of your birth, your ancestral nation or even the nation you reside in.

What if, though, your nation stepped away from the sport? To top this off, what if the people behind the scenes did not give an official reasoning for why the beloved game was pulled? Amidst all the controversy, a story emerges.

Speculation

Eritrea, a West African nation, is not well-renowned for its footballing prowess, but recent years have seen it discussed more than they possibly ever before.

The nation of Eritrea last competed in international competition in early 2020 before stepping away from football. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers 2023 were the bigger talking point, however. Without an official reason, people speculated why the football team was withdrawn. The most common answer, and the most plausible, is one of hardship and distress. Simply put, there is believed, by the nation’s leaders, to be a risk of players seeking asylum when playing away games. This has happened before, in 2019, seven men’s players went missing in Uganda after a fixture and have remained in hiding ever since.

A Dictatorship

Why is this such a problem? Eritrea is run as a dictatorship. President Isaias Afwerki is the head of the highly centralised authoritarian regime. Similar to that of North Korea, what happens in Eritrea stays in Eritrea. The country has extremely strict rules. Many people are forced into national service, many of whom are untrained and unpaid while there. All too often, people are being arrested and detained when speaking out of turn. Commonly, critics and journalists receive poor treatment for the words they share. Something I myself should keep an eye out for upon the release of this article, I suppose.

It is no surprise that so many people try to find refuge elsewhere with such a strict regime. The punishment for trying to escape is often worth the risk, with the chance of fleeing to a more fulfilling life.

FIFA Rankings

Back to the football and prior to their withdrawal in 2023, Eritrea were ranked at 195th in the FIFA world rankings. Now you can find them at the very bottom, below the famous minnows of San Marino; however, they are unranked, instead being 211th. Recent reports have said that when the nation competes in an official international fixture, they will be reinstated into the rankings, and rumours have it that they will resume their last position of 195th. Maybe harsh on San Marino after their two famous wins over Liechtenstein in recent times.

A Way Back?

It looks as though things might be on the turn with recent happenings looking positive for the nation’s sports. Just this year, Eritrea have seen huge developments in infrastructure and youth development in sport. They have even recently played their first non-official football fixture since 2023. A mini-tournament had been created with Eritrea, Niger and South Sudan being involved. South Sudan, however, unsurprisingly, had to withdraw before the tournament commenced due to the ongoing civil war in the nation. A civil war that has seen their two biggest club teams competing over in Mauritania on the west coast of Africa.

Despite the withdrawal of South Sudan, the tournament went ahead, albeit turning the tournament into a friendly. Niger sent over a representative side and not their first team. The game was not one for the viewer to get excited by, unfortunately, as the game ended in a drab 0-0. A poor game under uncomfortable circumstances, but a game that will bring hope to the people of Eritrea and hopefully be the first step back into reinstating their FIFA ranking as well as re-entering the Africa Cup of Nations.

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An Eritrean Star Is Born

Not many top-class players hail from Eritrea. Ask friends, family and colleagues if they can name just one singular player; it would be a huge shock if they could. However, there is one current player who may not have been born in Eritrea but was born with Eritrean parents. Current Premier League and Sweden star Alexander Isak. An example of why President Isaias Afwerki hasn’t allowed away fixtures in recent times, Isak’s parents sought asylum in Sweden and welcomed Alexander to the world in Solna.

Isak has often expressed his connection with Eritrea as positive despite the current state of the nation. Isak has visited the nation of his parents and paid visits to young footballers to inspire them. This included attending a game in Asmara, the nation’s capital, and being a part of the grassroots projects they have there.

Despite the turbulent times in recent years, it looks as though Eritrea are on the road to recovery. They may not set the world alight on the football stage, but to many footballers of Eritrean descent, and for the football fans in the nation, the permission to get back on the pitch is one that can bring joy to all.

Written and Researched by BSc Cavan Campbell

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