Eritrea’s dictatorship defection dilemma – Plus Poland’s Belarusian team and Russia’s war critic in Cyprus

Eritrea’s national team haven’t played an official match in seven years.

But this month, the Red Sea Camels are making their long-awaited return to the international stage in AFCON 2027 qualifying.

So what kept Eritrea away? Why are they returning to the fold now? And do they have any chance against Eswatini?

In this episode, we take you on a virtual journey to the Horn of Africa – and shine a light on the only country excluded from the FIFA rankings.

Plus, the Belarusian team in exile in Poland and the Russian war critic making waves in Cyprus.

Sweeper football shirts: ⁠https://stingz.co/collections/sweeper-podcast⁠

Deutsche Welle documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMRQQYGNBK8

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:14 – Eritrea’s international absence

04:55 – Dictatorships and defection

09:16 – The long-awaited return to the fold

13:30 – The state of play in the national team

19:02 – Poland’s Belarusian club in exile

22:47 – Sweeper shirts and special bonus pod

24:17 – Russia’s war critic turned club owner