Post Independence's Enviable Eritrean Footballers

Post Independence's Enviable Eritrean Footballers

London 28 Aug. 2010

Post Independence's Enviable Eritrean Footballers To start with, in the early 90s Eritrean football clubs and its great number of superb players was a pride for Eritrea. Undeniably, the root of football as a popular game dates back to the late 50s or early 60s. Eritrean players, then under Ethiopian colonization defied all the political barriers and proved their superiority. Despite the unwelcome attention they were getting, Eritrean players were the most important and dominant members of the Ethiopian national teams.

If Ethiopia is a pioneer of international competition in Africa playing its first international match in 1947 and African Nations cup in1957 at its inaugural ceremony, Eritrean players were the backbone of the Ethiopian teams.

Ethiopia was African Nations Cup champion back 1962 when it fielded 9 Eritreans star players in its squad. About half a century since then, that sole historic victory stands momentously and remains the only Ethiopian African Nations Cup trophy to date. It is a shame that the Ethiopian and Djiboutian team have not attended the CECAFA Friendship & Development Cup 2010 despite the invitations, which is a blockade in the Horn of Africa for Peace, Development, & Friendship. CECAFA has got an obligation to find out why this has not been possible.

Eritrea's post independence soccer history has also produced lots of enviable players. A goal post well defended by eagle's eye Berhane Araya, Abdusalih Fetushie, Samson Fessahaye and Gergish Debesay was a quality of its own that we still remember. In fact, Berhane Araya's nickname 'eagle eye' was given by a BBC journalist in the mid 90s in a game against Tanzania for his superb performance.

Samson Fessahaye was Berhane's reserve goal keeper both at club and national team. A defence that included players like Salih Ali, Negash Mohammed, Tecleab Isack, and others were once termed as a fence not even a bulldozer could pass through for its bullet proof quality that often witnessed at different international competitions.

The extraordinary contest in midfield that included heroic Negash Tecklit, Alem Reda, Yasin Mohammed, Amanuel Iyasu, Ocia, Fasil Abraha, Salambini, Efrem Beyen was better known for its entertaining aspect. The then professional player Yohannes Zemicheal, Efrem Meles, Yonas Fessahaye were Eritrea's greatest post independence attackers.

Yohannes Zemicheal is the best attacker that Eritrea football has ever seen in its post independence period. In fact, Eritrean National Football Federation crowned Yohannes Zemicheal as best Eritrean player in the past fifty years on the occasion CAF's Golden jubilee celebration in Asmara in 2007. Yohannes passed away in Sudan while playing for Al-Hilal as a professional footballer in 1993-94.

During those years, without any difficulty, two to three best national teams could be selected and still other promising players could be left out. Unfortunately, Eritrean National Football Federation was not recognized by FIFA and CAF until 1998. Thus, most of the aforementioned players and, largely, the strongest post independence Eritrean football players and teams were not fortunate enough to take part in any FIFA/CAF recognized qualification matches in their heyday.

We hope the Warsay players of the Red Sea Camels to lift the trophy of the 5th CECAFA Cup tomorrow at Asmara Stadium - we at Eritreacompass will broadcast from 13;00 Asmara local time the closing ceremony and the final game against Uganda.

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