A puzzling mystery: 7 African national team players are missing

Seven Eritrean players went missing after playing a match in Lobamba (Eswatini) as part of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) official said on Wednesday.
“This incident is a mystery,” the official said, requesting anonymity. “Eritrea beat Eswatini on March 31 in Lobamba, and no one knows for sure what happened after that.”
He added, “We believe that all the players left Eswatini heading to South Africa (where the delegation was scheduled to stop before returning via Egypt). But when the delegation arrived in Cairo, seven players were missing.”
A member of the Eritrean community residing in South Africa told Agence France-Presse that he saw several players among the missing in Johannesburg, but he refused to provide further details for security reasons.
The United Nations estimates that over the past 20 years, about 80 Eritreans linked to football (players, coaches, delegates) have defected while participating in matches held outside the country.
The system of indefinite military service in force in this East African country, which has been under the rule of Isaias Afwerki since independence in 1993, is one of the main reasons for these defections.
These seven players were among 10 international players active inside Eritrea who were called up for this match, while the other 14 players included in the list of 24 players called up for it are active in foreign leagues.