Eritrea players celebrate during their historic aggregate victory over Eswatini to reach the next round of AFCON 2027 qualifying.
“James Baldwin once wrote that he loved the US more than any other country in the world, and exactly for that reason, he insisted on the right to criticize her perpetually. As an Eritrean-American, it’s equally painful as it is validating to be in a lineage of Black-American artists committed to patriotism through the lens of dissent. I was sitting in a stadium in Guadalajara on March 31 when DR Congo qualified for the FIFA World Cup after 52 years. While violence and displacement continue to plague Eastern Congo, the DRC squad have been incredible advocates for those still suffering in the region. On the same day, Iraq also qualified for the World Cup in Monterrey, and their coach said he hoped the result would change how the world sees his country. And on the same day these two teams won in Mexico, Eritrea progressed past the preliminary stages of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a 19-year absence. …”
Africa Is a Country