Namrud Embaye

Eritrea

Nickname	(Tigrinya: ኣግማል ቀይሕ ባሕሪ) Red Sea Camels
Association	Eritrean National Football Federation (ENFF)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	CECAFA (East & Central Africa)
Head coach	Hesham Yakan
Captain	Ablelom Teklezghi
Most caps	Yidnekachew Shimangus (23)
Top scorer	Yidnekachew Shimangus Ali Sulieman (6)
Home stadium	Cicero Stadium
FIFA code	ERI
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	183 1 (7 October 2026)
Highest	121 (August 2007)
Lowest	207 (April–May 2018, September 2019)
First international
Pre-independence  Sudan 1–1 Eritrea (Khartoum, Sudan; 26 June 1992) Post-independence  Seychelles 0–1 Eritrea  (Mumias, Kenya; 29 November 1994)
Biggest win
Djibouti 0–3 Eritrea  (Kampala, Uganda; 13 December 2019)  Kenya 1–4 Eritrea  (Kampala, Uganda; 17 December 2019)
Biggest defeat
Ghana 5–0 Eritrea  (Accra, Ghana; 28 February 1999)  Angola 6–1 Eritrea  (Luanda, Angola; 25 March 2007)  Eritrea 0–5 South Africa  (Cairo, Egypt; 30 September 2026)
CECAFA Cup
Appearances	12 (first in 1994)
Best result	Runners-up (2019)

The Eritrea national football team (Tigrinya: ሃገራዊት ጋንታ ኩዕሶ እግሪ ኤርትራ) represents Eritrea in men's international football and it is controlled by the Eritrean National Football Federation (ENFF). It is nicknamed the Red Sea Camels. It has never qualified for the finals of the FIFA World Cup or the Africa Cup of Nations. Asmara side Red Sea FC are the main supplier for the national team and the team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Excluding its first match-up in the pre-Independence era (which was a 1–1 draw in a friendly against Sudan in 1992), Eritrea's official maiden international game after gaining independence from Ethiopia was during the group stage of the 1994 CECAFA Cup by winning 1–0 against Seychelles. It would later advance to the semi-finals in their first participation, losing to both Tanzania and Kenya, subsequently finishing fourth. In recent years, Eritrea's national team gained notoriety as several players vanished in an attempt to seek political asylum in foreign countries, leading to numerous withdrawals from the qualifying phase of major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations: from September 2023 to March 2026, Eritrea did not even have a FIFA ranking due to inactivity.

As of 2026, the team's best result in a competition was during the most recent CECAFA Cup it participated in by finishing runner-up in 2019 as Eritrea came up short in the final by losing 3–0 to hosts Uganda.

Joshua Yonas' team participated in a friendly tournament in Sudan in 1992, the year before Eritrea achieved independence. Eritrea participated in the 1994 CECAFA Cup, organised by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Association, even though the ENFF was not founded until 1996. The first full international was in the 1999 CECAFA Cup, the year after the ENFF joined the CAF and FIFA. They participated in the qualifying rounds of the 2000 African Cup of Nations and the 2002 World Cup, and subsequent editions until 2008. They have also appeared intermittently in the CECAFA Cup.

In the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Eritrea managed a scoreless home draw versus Cameroon and a 1–0 home win over Mozambique. They finished second in their three team group, and advanced to a playoff round where they faced Senegal and Zimbabwe, but ultimately lost all four matches in that final stage.

In the first round of the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup, they were drawn against Nigeria, and were defeated 4–0 in the away leg, after a goalless draw at home. The coach was Yilmaz Yuceturk.

In the first round of the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Sudan was Eritrea's first round opponent. Eritrea lost the first leg 3–0, before another goalless draw in Asmara. The coach was Eritrean Tekie Abraha.

In group 6 of the qualifiers for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, under the guidance of Romanian Dorian Marin, Eritrea finished second behind Angola, failing to qualify for the final tournament. They beat Kenya twice and drew at home to Angola.

In the first round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Eritrea faced Rwanda. The first leg in Asmara ended in a 1–1 draw (and saw Eritrea's first ever goal in a World Cup qualification match), but Rwanda took the second leg by a score of 3–1.

In the first round of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Eritrea faced Botswana. The first leg in Asmara saw Botswana win 2–0, and the second leg in Francistown saw Botswana win 3–1, with Botswana winning 5–1 on aggregate.

In the first round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Eritrea faced Namibia. The first leg in Asmara saw Namibia win 2–1, and the second leg saw Namibia win 2–0; Namibia won 4–1 on aggregate.

Eritrea withdrew from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, and would not play a match for six years until May 2025, when they played two matches against the Niger A' team: from 21 September 2023 to 31 March 2026, Eritrea was left out of the FIFA rankings because they did not play a recognised match within the last four years.

On 25 March 2026, Eritrea played their first competitive game since before the COVID-19 pandemic when they participated in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification preliminary round. It was also their first AFCON-related game since 2008.

On 30 March 2014, Eritrea withdrew from the preliminary round of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, likely due to a rising number of the Eritrean national team players defecting from Eritrea during away matches. They were intended to play against South Sudan, who were awarded a walkover.

On 2 March 2022, Eritrea withdrew from the preliminary round of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers due to the lack of a stadium that meets the requirements set by CAF to host its international matches. They were intended to play against Botswana. Botswana were also awarded a walkover.

In November 2023, Eritrea, who were drawn into Group E alongside Morocco, Zambia, Tanzania, Congo and Niger, pulled out of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, citing the reason as being the refusal of Zemede Tekle, who is the Eritrean Commissioner for Sports and Culture, to participate in the playoffs.

Recent years have seen a high number of refugees leaving Eritrea, and some athletes travelling to competitions abroad have taken the opportunity to abscond. In December 2012, seventeen Eritrean footballers and the team's doctor vanished after the CECAFA championship tournament in Uganda and all applied for asylum in the country. Four players of Red Sea FC defected after a CAF Champions League 2006 match in Nairobi, Kenya, and up to 12 members of the national side after the 2007 CECAFA Cup in Tanzania. Another 6 players sought asylum in Angola in March 2007 after a group 6 qualifying game for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. Three more players from the national team sought asylum in Sudan.

Eritrea withdrew from the 2008 CECAFA Cup, and from the common qualifying tournament shared by the 2010 World Cup and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. Given the number of players seeking asylum, the Eritrean government began requiring athletes to pay a 100,000 nakfa surety before traveling abroad.

Eritrea returned to the 2009 CECAFA Cup in Nairobi. A young squad was assembled with just 12 days' training. In Group B, they gained a surprise draw with Zimbabwe, lost narrowly to Rwanda, and beat Somalia 3–1. They were easily beaten 4–0 in the quarter-finals by Tanzania. Twelve squad members failed to report for the return flight, and sought the assistance of the Refugee Consortium of Kenya. They were believed to be in hiding in Eastleigh, an eastern suburb of Nairobi home to many immigrants. Nicholas Musonye, the secretary-general of CECAFA, feared that the government might react by refusing to let the team travel abroad in future. The twelve players were later granted interim asylum by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kenya. Eleven of these players have since travelled to Adelaide in Australia with two of them, Samuel Ghebrehiwet and Ambes Sium, signing for Gold Coast United in the A-League in August 2011.

In the first round of the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, ten players from the Eritrean football team refused to return home after playing a World Cup qualifying match in Botswana and were granted asylum there.

In September 2019, four members of the national Under-20 team sought asylum in Uganda after the team qualified for the semi-finals of a competition. A few months later in December, a further seven players selected for the international team refused to return home and sought asylum in Uganda after a tournament. In October 2021, five footballers from the country's under-20 women's team also disappeared when on international duty in Uganda.

In March 2026, Eritrea won both legs against Eswatini with 4–1 on aggregate in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification preliminary round, advancing to the AFCON qualifiers for the first time in nearly two decades. However, of the ten domestic players called up for the games, only three returned, with seven suspected to have absconded in South Africa.

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

Eritrea  v  Eswatini

25 March 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification	Eritrea	2–0	Eswatini	Meknes, Morocco
17:00 UTC+1	Eyob-Abraha 81' Sulieman 90+4'	Report		Stadium: Stade d'Honneur Referee: Moussa Diou (Mauritania)

Eswatini  v  Eritrea

31 March 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification	Eswatini	1–2	Eritrea	Lobamba, Eswatini
16:00 UTC+2	Figuareido 90+6'	Report	Sulieman 50', 59'	Stadium: Somhlolo National Stadium Referee: Josefa Aurelio (São Tomé and Príncipe)

Kenya  v  Eritrea

26 September 2027 AFCON qualification	Kenya	1–1	Eritrea	Nairobi, Kenya
16:00 UTC+3	Ogam 87'	Report	Girmai 36'	Stadium: Nyayo National Stadium Referee: Mohamed Athoumani (Comoros)

Eritrea  v  South Africa

30 September 2027 AFCON qualification	Eritrea	0–5	South Africa	Cairo, Egypt
19:00 UTC+3		Report	Mofokeng 19', 45+1' Sithole 52' Rayners 63' Singh 90+4'	Stadium: Al Salam Stadium Referee: Lamin Jammeh (Gambia)

Guinea  v  Eritrea

11 November 2027 AFCON qualification	Guinea	v	Eritrea	TBD, Guinea
TBD				Stadium: TBD

Eritrea  v  Guinea

15 November 2027 AFCON qualification	Eritrea	v	Guinea	TBD, Eritrea
TBD				Stadium: TBD

Eritrea  v  Kenya

24 March 2027 AFCON qualification	Eritrea	v	Kenya	TBD, Eritrea
TBD				Stadium: TBD

South Africa  v  Eritrea

28 March 2027 AFCON qualification	South Africa	v	Eritrea	TBD, South Africa
TBD				Stadium: TBD

Caretaker managers are listed in italics

• The following players were called up for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Kenya on 26 September and South Africa on 30 September 2026.
• Caps and goals are correct as of 30 September 2026^[update], after the match against South Africa.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Yonathan Sultan	(2007-01-12) 12 January 2007 (age 19)	4	0	Arabian Falcons
12	1GK	Yoel Kebreab	(2000-09-13) 13 September 2000 (age 26)	0	0	GS United
22	1GK	Malik Abdurahman	(2006-02-18) 18 February 2006 (age 20)	0	0	Avesta AIK
2	2DF	Mussie Beraky	(2007-04-21) 21 April 2007 (age 19)	0	0	Gießen
3	2DF	Jonas Idris	(2005-04-17) 17 April 2005 (age 21)	4	0	Fremad Amager
4	2DF	Jamal Ali	(1998-09-12) 12 September 1998 (age 28)	3	0	Preston Lions
14	2DF	Namrud Embaye	(2002-01-09) 9 January 2002 (age 24)	4	0	Würzburger Kickers
16	2DF	Hennos Asmelash	(1999-07-01) 1 July 1999 (age 27)	1	0	Milsami Orhei
25	2DF	Victor Fors	(1999-03-11) 11 March 1999 (age 27)	3	0	Kongsvinger
31	2DF	Yonatan Sebhatu	(2002-03-19) 19 March 2002 (age 24)	1	0	SD Raiders
33	2DF	Jozef Misignha	(2008-03-23) 23 March 2008 (age 18)	2	0	De Graafschap U19
5	3MF	Nahom Tadese	(2000-05-08) 8 May 2000 (age 26)	4	0	Denden
8	3MF	Ablelom Teklezghi (captain)	(1996-09-01) 1 September 1996 (age 30)	13	0	Red Sea
9	3MF	Tesfaldet Tekie	(1997-06-04) 4 June 1997 (age 29)	2	0	Hammarby
15	3MF	Yonael Yonas		1	0	Maroons
18	3MF	Yoel Yilma	(1999-03-29) 29 March 1999 (age 27)	0	0	TSV Wiesbaden
20	3MF	Nahom Netabay	(1994-04-28) 28 April 1994 (age 32)	4	1	Degerfors
	3MF	Joel Gerezgiher	(1995-10-09) 9 October 1995 (age 31)	0	0	Gießen
7	4FW	Filimon Gerezgiher	(2000-07-04) 4 July 2000 (age 26)	2	0	Fortuna Düsseldorf
10	4FW	Ali Sulieman	(2000-09-12) 12 September 2000 (age 26)	13	6	Al-Masry
11	4FW	Romel Abdu	(2001-11-28) 28 November 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Denden
17	4FW	Fahmi Ibrahim	(2000-04-25) 25 April 2000 (age 26)	1	0	Cebu
19	4FW	Esrom Yohannes	(2002-09-11) 11 September 2002 (age 24)	2	0	Foothills
23	4FW	Maill Lundgren	(2001-06-01) 1 June 2001 (age 25)	2	0	Ranheim
26	4FW	Awet Alemseged [no]	(2004-04-27) 27 April 2004 (age 22)	0	0	Grorud IL
29	4FW	Nobel Gebrezgi	(2003-08-18) 18 August 2003 (age 23)	1	0	ISE
30	4FW	Awed Issac	(1997-04-10) 10 April 1997 (age 29)	2	0	Fernwald

The following players have also been called up for the team within the last twelve months and are still available and eligible for selection.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Kibrom Solomon	(2000-09-10) 10 September 2000 (age 26)	9	0	Denden	v.  Eswatini, 31 March 2026DEF
GK	Awet Maharena	(1994-10-19) 19 October 1994 (age 31)	0	0	Red Sea	v.  Eswatini, 25 March 2026DEF
DF	Matteo Borsoi	(2003-04-11) 11 April 2003 (age 23)	0	0	Perugia	v.  Kenya, 26 September 2026WD
DF	Nahom Awet	(2000-11-10) 10 November 2000 (age 25)	5	0	Denden	v.  Eswatini, 31 March 2026DEF
DF	Wedeb Fessehaye	(1999-07-07) 7 July 1999 (age 27)	2	0	Al Tahrir	v.  Eswatini, 31 March 2026DEF
DF	Medhanie Redae	(1993-06-30) 30 June 1993 (age 33)	2	0	Red Sea	v.  Eswatini, 31 March 2026DEF
DF	Yosief Tsegay	(2001-01-23) 23 January 2001 (age 25)	2	0	Denden	v.  Eswatini, 31 March 2026DEF
MF	Aethan Yohannes	(2004-03-16) 16 March 2004 (age 22)	0	0	CS Dinamo București	v.  Eswatini, 31 March 2026
FW	Siem Eyob-Abraha	(2008-03-01) 1 March 2008 (age 18)	2	1	Cracovia	v.  Kenya, 26 September 2026WD
FW	Oliver Hintsa	(2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 (age 25)	2	0	FC Dinamo București	v.  Kenya, 26 September 2026WD
FW	Amanuel Benhur	(2000-09-12) 12 September 2000 (age 26)	2	0	Red Sea	v.  Eswatini, 31 March 2026DEF
FW	Simon Abrahaley	(2005-01-01) 1 January 2005 (age 21)	0	0	ONS Sneek	v.  Eswatini, 25 March 2026PRE
Notes PRE = Preliminary squad / standby WD = Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue. INJ = Withdrew due to injury DEF = Player defected

As of 30 September 2026

Players in bold are still active with Eritrea.

FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup Qualification Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA 1930 to 1938 Part of  Italy Part of  Italy 1950 to 1990 Part of  Ethiopia Part of  Ethiopia 1994 to 1998 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member 2002 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 4 2006 2 0 1 1 0 3 2010 Did not enter Did not enter 2014 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 4 2018 2 0 0 2 1 5 2022 2 0 0 2 1 4 2026 Withdrew Withdrew 2030 To be determined To be determined 2034 Total – 0/7 – – – – – – 10 0 3 7 4 20 Africa Cup of Nations Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA 1957 Part of  Ethiopia Part of  Ethiopia 1959 1962 1963 1965 1968 1970 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 Not affiliated with CAF Not affiliated with CAF 1996 1998 2000 Did not qualify 9 1 1 7 4 22 2002 2 1 0 1 3 6 2004 6 1 0 5 1 7 2006 2 0 1 1 0 3 2008 6 2 3 1 5 8 2010 Withdrew Withdrew 2012 Did not enter Did not enter 2013 2015 Withdrew Withdrew 2017 Did not enter Did not enter 2019 2021 2023 Withdrew Withdrew 2025 Excluded Excluded 2027 To be determined 2 2 0 0 4 1 Total – 0/35 – – – – – – 27 7 5 15 17 47

CECAFA Cup record
Appearances: 12
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1973 to 1992	Part of  Ethiopia
1994	Fourth place	4th	5	2	1	2	3	2
1995	Did not enter
1996
1999	Group stage	11th	2	0	0	2	2	6
2000		8th	4	0	1	3	4	15
2001		11th	3	0	0	3	3	17
2002	Did not enter
2003
2004
2005	Group stage	10th	4	0	0	4	2	18
2006		11th	3	0	0	3	0	10
2007	Quarter-finals	8th	4	2	0	2	8	8
2008	Group stage	10th	4	0	1	3	2	13
2009		12th	3	0	0	3	0	13
2010	Did not enter
2011	Group stage	11th	3	0	0	3	2	10
2012	Did not enter
2013
2015	Group stage	11th	3	0	0	3	0	9
2017	Did not enter
2019	Runners-up	2nd	6	3	1	2	8	6
Total	0 Titles	12/40	44	7	4	33	34	127

Key

As of 30 September 2026

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

Opponent	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Angola	2	0	1	1	2	7	-5
Botswana	2	0	0	2	1	5	-4
Burundi	4	1	2	1	3	3	0
Cameroon	2	0	1	1	0	1	-1
Djibouti	2	2	0	0	6	2	+4
Eswatini	4	2	2	0	4	1	+3
Ghana	1	0	0	1	0	5	-5
Kenya	11	3	1	7	12	15	-3
Mali	2	0	0	2	0	3	-3
Malawi	1	0	0	1	2	3	-1
Mozambique	2	1	0	1	2	3	-1
Namibia	2	0	0	2	1	4	−3
Niger	2	0	1	1	0	-1	-1
Nigeria	2	0	1	1	0	4	−4
Rwanda	10	0	2	8	7	16	−9
Senegal	2	0	0	2	2	8	−6
Seychelles	3	2	0	1	2	1	+1
Somalia	3	1	2	0	3	1	+2
South Africa	1	0	0	1	0	5	−5
Sudan	12	3	2	7	7	20	−13
Tanzania	4	0	1	3	1	7	−6
Uganda	8	1	2	5	6	17	−11
Yemen	1	0	0	1	1	4	−3
Zanzibar	2	0	1	1	0	3	-3
Zimbabwe	5	0	1	4	0	8	-8
Total	95	18	21	56	58	146	−88

• Eritrea at CAF
• Eritrea at FIFA