Eritrea: Federation issues alert over fake funding campaign

The Eritrean National Football Federation (ENFF) has distanced itself from an ongoing GoFundMe campaign in support of the national side. The Eritrea national team has gained huge support recently after an astounding display in the 2027 African Cup of Nations preliminary round, in which they trounced Eswatini 4–1 on aggregate.

In an official statement, the ENFF revealed that there has been an unrecognized funding campaign that aims to support the national side. The federation stated that such acts are not legal and asked fans to cease any financial contributions. “These campaigns, which are being promoted in the name of the Eritrean National Football Federation and the national team players, are unauthorized, illegitimate, and do not represent ENFF or its players,” reads the statement.

A campaign page seen by Pan-Africa Football suggests that over £30,000 has been raised within a short period of time, with a goal of reaching up to £100,000. Eritrea has a large diaspora living in Europe, the United Kingdom, North America, the Middle East, and Australia, and the ENFF called on fans not to fall for fraudulent activity.

The Red Sea Camels enjoyed huge support from the diaspora after their two-legged win in the AFCON preliminary round. Their win also helped Eritrea be ranked by FIFA after many months of inactivity, placing them 184th.

Eritrea 🇪🇷 continued their dream return from a long hiatus by advancing to the group stage of qualifying for the 2027 #TotalEnergiesAFCON.

Ali Suleiman 🇪🇷 scored twice in a 2-1 victory at Eswatini 🇸🇿 to complete a 4-1 aggregate win.#AFCON #AFCON2027 #AFCONQ #AFCON2027Q pic.twitter.com/k6WoY8m682

— Pan-Africa Football (@PanAfricaFooty) March 31, 2026