MBABANE – Revealed!
The Ministry of Home Affairs has disclosed that the Eritrean players, who remained in the country after their 2-1 TotalEnergies AFCON preliminary second-leg victory over Sihlangu, have a legal right to stay for 60 days.
This clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs Communications Officer, Mlandvo Dlamini, confirms that the players are entitled to remain within the country’s borders for this duration. The players are part of the squad which booted Sihlangu out of the first hurdle of qualifiers on a 4-1 aggregate.
This follows reports that, after the departure of the Eritrean national team, seven of their players, most of whom ply their trade in their local league, went missing and did not return home with the rest of the delegation. The players are reportedly being housed at the Lobamba Technical Centre by the Eswatini Football Association (EFA).
Dlamini stated that, according to immigration laws, a person is allowed to stay in the country for 30 days following their official entry.
“The players can still renew their stay for another 30 days. The police have confirmed that they are in the country, but we haven’t yet received a formal report about them,” Dlamini said.
He clarified that under the Immigration Act, the players could be charged for overstaying; however, they are eligible to apply for residency or an extended stay through the Immigration Act of 2013.
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The Eritrean national team before the Sihlangu match. (Pic: Ntombikayise Gwebu)