Italo Vassallo

Italo Vassallo
Personal information
Date of birth	1940
Place of birth	Asmara, Italian East Africa
Date of death	30 July 2021 (aged 80–81)
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team
1957–1960	Hamasien
1961–1973	Cotton Factory Club
International career
1962–1971	Ethiopia
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Italo Vassallo (1940 – 30 July 2021^[1]) 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.^[2]

Club career

Vassallo made his debut at Hamasien where he won the Ethiopian First Division for the first time in 1957.^[3]

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.^[4]

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 Vassallo
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	21 January 1962	Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	United Arab Republic	3–2	4–2	1962 Africa Cup of Nations
2	21 February 1965	Kampala, Uganda	Uganda	2–1	2–1	1965 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
3	27 March 1965	Khartoum, Sudan	Sudan		1–2	1965 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4	4 April 1965	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Kenya	1–0	2–1	1965 Africa Cup of Nations qualification