Escobar tragedy haunts Colombia again; Midfielder Campaz goes into hiding

While most of the Colombian players reached Bogotá after a shocking exit from the World Cup, star midfielder Jaminton Campaz is reportedly in hiding. The report comes after Colombia’s unexpected exit from the tournament, after suffering a defeat to Switzerland at BC Place, Vancouver, in the Round of 16 match.

When the match went to the penalties, Campaz was among the three who successfully converted from the spot kick. However, this did little to spare the star from his costly miss earlier in the game.

The 26-year-old, who plays for Argentine club Rosario Central, missed a few sitters in the second half of the game, which could have turned the fortunes for the team. Colombia entered the field certain of a win, but was left flummoxed by a stubborn Swiss team that withstood the barrage of attacks from the Latin forwards.

Campaz could have curled a sitter, which on any other day he would have. Other instances saw him playing a bit selfishly instead of passing the ball to a totally free Luis Diaz, a golden opportunity for Colombia and a costly miss.

"I deeply regret not being able to give you the joy we all hoped for, but I want you to know that I never lacked commitment, dedication or love for this shirt. I gave everything I had on the field, and I would do it again a thousand times for my country," Campaz wrote on social media after the match.

After the game, death threats reached Campaz. Thoughts of Escobar might have raced through the mind of Campaz as he decided not to join the team on the return flight. Andres Escobar was shot dead for scoring an own goal against the US in the 1994 World Cup. The Colombian Football Federation (FCF) announced an investigation into the death threat case against Campaz.