Date of birth 1940 Years Team Position Forward 1957-1960 GS Asmara, Hamasien Role Footballer | Playing position Name Italo Vassalo Place of birth Asmara, Eritrea 1961–1965 Cotton Factory Club | |
Aesaone 3rd african cup one sport one love one country mengistu worku italo vassalo
Italo Vassalo is a former Eritrean-born, Italian-Eritrean footballer (with Ethiopian citizenship when young).
Contents
- Aesaone 3rd african cup one sport one love one country mengistu worku italo vassalo
- Biography
- References
Biography
Italo Vassalo (sometimes spelt "Vassallo") was born in Asmara (capital of Italian Eritrea) in 1940 from an Italian soldier (who gave him his name Italo, that means "with Italian roots") and a local Eritrean girl. As a teenager he started playing football with his older brother Luciano Vassalo in the "GS Asmara" and in the "Hamasien" (precursor of Asmara Birra). He then moved to Ethiopia: officially ceded to Ethiopia from Great Britain by the United Nations Mandate in 1952, and subsequently under the Ethiopian Federation Italo was considered Ethiopian citizen.
So, he played with Ethiopia internationally, sharing in its 1962 African Cup victory over Egypt. He played at FIFA World Cup qualifiers in 1970. His brother Luciano Vassalo was also a footballer (and later team coach) for the Ethopian team.
My brother (Italo) was an very good forward. He was very strong physically and technically. We won the national football team of Egypt (in the 1962 African Cup) during the final match with a 4-2 score, thanks to 2 goals of him in the extra time... Luciano Vassalo
He retired from active tournaments in the 1970s (even for political reasons because he was not fully Ethiopian, but "half" Italian) and went back to Eritrea, where he worked as a local team coach. Now Italo owns a restaurant in Asmara.