Samuel Tesfagabr is an Eritrean footballer. He defected from Eritrea while on national team duty at a tournament in Kenya and received asylum in Australia.[1][2][3][4][5] He was signed to the A-League team Gold Coast United in their final season. As of 2016, he plays for Adelaide Blue Eagles in the National Premier Leagues South Australia.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel Ghebrehiwet Tesfagabr | ||
| Date of birth | 5 May 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Khartoum, Sudan | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left Back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Para Hills | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011 | Western Strikers | 14 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Gold Coast United | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2015 | Adelaide Comets | 70 | (20) |
| 2016 | Adelaide Blue Eagles | 23 | (3) |
| 2017 | Adelaide Olympic | 7 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | West Adelaide | 32 | (5) |
| 2019–2020 | WT Birkalla | 18 | (4) |
| 2021– | Para Hills | 4 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Eritrea | ? | (?) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 November 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 September 2012 | |||
Escape from Eritrea
editTesfagabr was part of the Eritrea and played in the 2009 CECAFA Cup in Kenya, appearing in the 2-1 group match defeat to Rwanda.[6] When the team plane returned, none of the players including Tesfagabr were on it sparking a search by Eritrean authorities.[7] Tesfagabr and his teammates avoided detection for ten days in Nairobi before finding their way to a refugee camp 800 km from the Kenyan capital. They spent eight months at the camp before they were granted refugee status by Australia.[8] After receiving refugee status from the Australian government, the team moved to Adelaide.[9]
Career in Australia
editAfter moving to Australia, Tesfagabr, and three other Eritreans signed with the Western Strikers SC of FFSA Super League. While playing for the club, he worked for a local switchboard manufacturer.[9] For the 2011–12 season, he, along with fellow Eritrean refugee Ambesager Yosief, signed with A-League club Gold Coast United.[10][11] Tesfagabr did not make an official appearance for the club.[12] At the end of the season, Gold Coast United lost their license and were dissolved.[13] For the 2013 season, he signed with the Adelaide Comets of the FFSA Super League.[8] In 2016, he made a move to the previous season's runner-up Adelaide Blue Eagles in the same league, which is now called National Premier Leagues South Australia.[14]
Tesfagabr became an Australian citizen in 2016.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Samuel Tesfagabr - FTBl article".
- ^ Greenwood, Rob (4 February 2015). "Proud to be Aussie". Weekly Times Messenger. p. 5. ProQuest 1650670661.
- ^ Fraser, Daniel (13 September 2011). "Eritrean duo enter dreamland in quest to crack United's top team". The Gold Coast Bulletin. p. 44. ProQuest 888610904.
- ^ Monteverde, Marco (28 October 2011). "Former refugee edges closer to dream debut". The Courier-Mail. p. 112. ProQuest 900645080.
- ^ "SOC:Gold Coast slogan 'in support of refugees'". AAP Sports News Wire. 27 February 2012. ProQuest 923554276.
- ^ Okinyo, Collins (4 December 2009). "Rwanda through to Quarter Finals". michezo net. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
- ^ "Eritrea football team 'absconds' in Kenya". BBC. 14 December 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ a b c Rob Greenwood (4 February 2015). "Mehari Tesema and Samuel Tesfagabr become Australian citizens five years after fleeing from Eritrean national soccer team". Adelaide Now.
- ^ a b Jai Bednall (10 April 2011). "Out of Africa, it's a whole new ball game". Adelaide Now. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ Val Migliaccio (5 October 2011). "A-League preview of teams". news.co.au. Retrieved 19 October 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Western Strikers Eritrean duo sign for GCU - Channel 10 report. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- ^ "Summary: S. Tesfagabr". Soccerway. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ "A-League revokes Gold Coast licence". Herald Sun. Melbourne. 29 February 2012.
- ^ Rob Greenwood (5 February 2016). "SA Premier League soccer season kicks off tonight". Retrieved 19 October 2016.