Samuel Tesfagabr

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. 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.

Samuel Tesfagabr
Personal information
Full name Samuel Ghebrehiwet Tesfagabr
Date of birth (1985-05-05) 5 May 1985
Place of birth Khartoum, Sudan
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Left Back
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– WT Birkalla 18 (4)
National team‡
2009 Eritrea ? (?)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 September 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24 September 2012

Escape from Eritrea

Tesfagabr was part of the Eritrea and played in the 2009 CECAFA Cup in Kenya, appearing in the 2-1 group match defeat to Rwanda.[1] When the team plane returned, none of the players including Tesfagabr were on it sparking a search by Eritrean authorities.[2] 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.[3] After receiving refugee status from the Australian government, the team moved to Adelaide.[4]

Career in Australia

After 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.[4] For the 2011–12 season, he, along with fellow Eritrean refugee Ambesager Yosief, signed with A-League club Gold Coast United.[5][6] Tesfagabr did not make an official appearance for the club.[7] At the end of the season, Gold Coast United lost their license and were dissolved.[8] For the 2013 season, he signed with the Adelaide Comets of the FFSA Super League.[3] 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.[9]

Tesfagabr became an Australian citizen in 2016.[3]

References
  1. Okinyo, Collins (4 December 2009). "Rwanda through to Quarter Finals". michezo net. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  2. "Eritrea football team 'absconds' in Kenya". BBC. 14 December 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  3. Rob Greenwood (4 February 2015). "Mehari Tesema and Samuel Tesfagabr become Australian citizens five years after fleeing from Eritrean national soccer team". Adelaide Now.
  4. 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.
  5. Val Migliaccio (5 October 2011). "A-League preview of teams". news.co.au. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  6. Western Strikers Eritrean duo sign for GCU - Channel 10 report. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  7. "Summary: S. Tesfagabr". Soccerway. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  8. "A-League revokes Gold Coast licence". Herald Sun. Melbourne. 29 February 2012.
  9. Rob Greenwood (5 February 2016). "SA Premier League soccer season kicks off tonight". Retrieved 19 October 2016.
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