Eritrea

The youngest nation in Africa. It exists as an indepent nation since 1993.

It borders with Ethiopia to the south ,with the Sudan to the northwest with Djibouti to the southeast and the Red Sea to the northeast.

It has a population of about 4 million.Asmara(meaning - united) is its capital city which lies in the highland region of the country.

Massawa and Assab are the two ports on the Red Sea.

Geographically Eritrea is divided in to two main regions namely the lowlands and and the highland which in part characterises its weather condition.

Before independence as part of Ethiopia its sports was undeveloped.

Soccer is by far the popular sport in Eritrea before and after independence.

When Ethiopia won the third African Nations Cup the Ethiopian team was formed with eight Eritrean players.

Names like Gila (usually an adjective of a keeper) Kiflom, Luciano,Italo.Berhe and others have dominated the Ethiopian soccer history.

3rd African Nations Cup 1962

Final-21 Jannuary,Addis Abeba,Hailé Selassié I stadium

Ethiopia 4-2 Egypt(0-1,2-2 & prol.)

Referee:Brooks(Uganda)

Scorers:Mengistu Worku(84th , 117th), Italo Vassalo(101th), Girma(65th) for Ethiopia ; Abdelfatah Badawi(35th ,75th) for Egypt.

Ethiopia:LUCIANO-AWAD-TESFAY-BERHE-ASMELASH-KIFLOM-GIRMA-GILA-ITALO-GETACHEW-MENGISTU. Coach: Milosev ( Yougoslavie)