U-17 AFCON: Somalia players return to camp after deserting on Friday
- Omna Taddele
- Apr 5
- 1 min read
Seven Somalia U-17 national team players have abandoned their plans to desert the camp ahead of their final group game against Senegal at the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Morocco.
Somalia are appearing in their second-ever U-17 AFCON and have already lost two matches, resulting in their elimination from contention to qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Pan-Africa Football can exclusively report that seven players vanished from the team hotel on two separate occasions. Nonetheless, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) played a key role in facilitating the players' return to camp. It is not yet known why the players left the hotel without the consent of national team officials.
The Horn of Africa nation continues to struggle economically due to decades of civil war. Many people in Somalia often flee in search of better opportunities abroad. The attempt by the seven players may have been motivated by similar reasons.
Somalia will face title holders Senegal in their final group game. They lost their previous match 5-1 to The Gambia and sit at the bottom of Group C with zero points from two matches.