By Cyrus Ombati

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has granted the 12 members of the Eritrean national soccer team asylum.

They were granted passes to allow them stay in Kenya as UNHCR works on their cases.

The players were interviewed by the Ministry of Immigration officials on Wednesday night and later granted asylum after being cleared by UNHCR.

After being given the stickers, which will last for three months, they were escorted to an undisclosed place in the city.

“They are under the UNHCR and cannot be arrested,” said an official at the UNHCR offices who sought anonymity.

Swore affidavits

The players are said to have displayed affidavits they swore before departing Asmara, saying they would not go back because of harassment in their country.

There was drama at the immigration offices as the players roughed up journalists who had camped there awaiting their arrival.

They later apologised saying they thought the journalists were police planning to arrest them.

The players resurfaced at the UNHCR offices in Nairobi days after they went missing to seek asylum status.

They arrived at the UNHCR offices in Westlands, Nairobi, in a hired car and went into a meeting with officials before being referred to the refugee offices at the Ministry of Immigration headquarters at Nyayo House, where their case was heard.

They made up nearly half the 25 players and coaches Eritrea sent to the soccer tournament for nations from East and central Africa.

Team organiser Nicholas Musonye alerted police when only 13 team members departed after the tournament ended on Sunday.

Police said they launched investigation and learnt none of the 12 players had a visa to remain in Kenya. Source: (The Standard)

By Olad Hassan

Most of the Eritrean national football squad has disappeared in Nairobi- Kenya, according to Nicholas Musonye- Secretary of the Counsil of East and Central Africa Football Assocoations (CECAFA) on Monday.

The Eritrean players were among twelve Cecafa teams arrived in Nairobi to participate the 33rd addition of Cecafa tournament, and they were expected to go back home on Saturday night after they were eliminated from the tournament in the quarter-final stage by Rwanda.

“No single player was in the hotel in the last minutes of their departure, very view of them including the Coach could be seen on board their bus to the airport.”, said one of the workers of Gulf Palace Hotel- where they where resided after they knocked out from the competition.

Sources indicate, the head coach Negash Teklit and an army colonel who accompanied the national team are the only people who returned back to Eritrea. According to different sources 12 players are reported to be hiding in Nairobi with the target of seeking asylum in Kenya.

Officials have launched a search for Eritrea’s national football team after the players reportedly failed to return home following a tournament in Kenya.

The Eritreans were knocked out of the Cecafa competition for East and Central African nations last week. But when the team plane landed back home, it was reportedly only carrying the coach and an official.

The government, which is frequently accused of repression, denies any players are missing. But the country’s football federation confirmed to Cecafa head Nicholas Musonye that the players had not returned.

Mr Musonye told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme it was the third time the Eritrean team had failed to return home after a tournament.

“The Eritrean federation have done their best to bring a team to the competition – unfortunately these boys had other ideas,” he said.

“Definitely they are in Nairobi – we have so many Eritreans here – they must be somewhere.”

He said he would establish the facts and hand the details on to the police.

The UN says hundreds of Eritreans flee the country every month.

Critics say the country’s repressive government, poverty and a harsh national service regime forces many to leave.

But the government denies that Eritreans are fleeing and accuses the UN of lying about the figures. Source: (BBC)

Surprise package Eritrea held Cosafa Challenge Cup champions Zimbabwe to a goalless draw in a Group B match in Nairobi at the on-going Cecafa Orange Senior Challenge Cup.

The draw means Rwanda who beat Somalia 1-0 in the opening group game lead the group with three points, while Zimbabwe and Eritrea are at one point apiece. Source: (CAF)

In the sugarcane growing town of Mumias, Tanzania recovered from their 2-0 loss to defending champions Uganda to silence Zanzibar 1-0 in a game that ended with each team one man-less. Mrisho Ngassa scored in the 18th minute, but the Kilimanjaro Stars looked for a second goal but to no avail.

Zanzibar had their goalkeeper Ali Mwadin sent off towards the final whistle, while Tanzania’s Kiggi Makasi received a second caution in the 44th minute.

Tomorrow Ethiopia will be up against Chipolopolo of Zambia, while hosts Kenya line-up against Djibouti and Burundi battle 10-time winners Uganda Cranes.

Eritrea and Zimbabwe drew 0-0 in their first Group “B” standing at the 33rd Council for East Africa and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) at the National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.

Eritrea is joined by Somalia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe in Group B and will face Rwanda in the next match on Thursday, December 3rd.

The cup is sponsored by Orange, one of the world’s leading telecommunication operators. CECAFA and Orange have agreed on a US$175,000 deal for the event, which takes place in the Kenyan towns of Nairobi and Mumias until Sunday, December 13th.

Further, Orange has agreed to sponsor the African Cups of Nations, the African Champions League, the African Confederations Cup, the Super Cup, the African Nations Championship and the African Youth Championship for the next eight years.