Italo Vassallo (1940 – 30 July 2021È morto Italo Vassallo, col fratello portò l’Etiopia ai vertici del calcio ) was an Italian-Eritrean footballer. He played for Ethiopia internationally, scoring in their 1962 Africa Cup of Nations final victory over Egypt. His half-brother is Luciano Vassallo, a former footballer for the Ethiopian team.
Club career
Vassallo made his debut at Hamasien where he won the Ethiopian First Division for the first time in 1957.
When Vassallo's half-brother Luciano moved to Cotton Factory Club, Italo joined him at 17 years old. They would go on to win the Ethiopian First Division four times at Cotton FC before retiring in 1973.
International career
Once Eritrean-born footballers were allowed to be called up for the national team, Italo and Luciano were selected for the 1962 Africa Cup of Nations. Italo scored a goal in Ethiopia's extra-time victory in the final against Egypt.
After football
During the Eritrean–Ethiopian War, Italo was expelled from Ethiopia and returned to Eritrea. He ran a restaurant in Asmara.
Career statistics
International goals
Scores and results list Ethiopia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vassallo goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Italo VassalloNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 3–2 4–21962 Africa Cup of Nations2 Kampala, Uganda 2–1 2–11965 Africa Cup of Nations qualification3 Khartoum, Sudan 1–21965 Africa Cup of Nations qualification4 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1–0 2–11965 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
International Ethiopia Africa Cup of Nations: 1962
See also
Luciano Vassallo GS Asmara Italians of Ethiopia Italian Eritreans Giovanni De Min (footballer)
References
External links FIFA profile