Eritrea are ending an 18-year absence from the Africa Cup of Nations by playing Eswatini in a qualifier. The match is scheduled for Wednesday in Meknes, Morocco. This is the first qualifier for the 2027 tournament.
The preliminary round first leg has been moved from East to North Africa. Eritrea lacks an international-standard venue, hence the change. The match will be held at the 20,000-seat Stade d’Honneur.
Eswatini will host the return match on March 31. The aggregate winners will then advance to the group stage. The group stage will consist of 12 four-nation mini-leagues from September.
Eritrea’s Long Absence Explained
Known as the Red Sea Camels, Eritrea have not participated in the premier African national team competition since a 2008 qualifier in Swaziland. Eritrean football officials have not explained their absence from nine subsequent Cups of Nations. However, it is widely believed to be due to players seeking asylum when playing abroad.
The United Nations estimates about 80 footballers and coaches have defected. They cite political repression and lengthy military service as the main reasons.
Eritrea has been governed by President Isaias Afwerki since gaining independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Human rights groups consistently describe his rule as “highly repressive”.
Government Backing for AFCON Return
Eritrean National Football Federation President Paulos Andemariam announced that the isolation would end. He spoke in Morocco before the 2025 Cup of Nations. “After positive discussions with our government, we have registered to play in the 2027 AFCON, and I believe we will have a strong team, including many Eritreans playing outside Africa,” he said.
Local head coach Ermias Tewelde was recently replaced by Hesham Yakan. Yakan is a former defender with Cairo club Zamalek and part of the Egypt squad at the 1990 World Cup.
A 24-man squad includes 10 locals and Eritreans playing in various countries. These include Australia, Egypt, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines and Sweden.
- Siem Eyob-Abraha is with Sheffield United.
- He previously played for Manchester United’s youth squad.
- Ali Sulieman also expected to start against Eswatini.
Yakan rates Sulieman highly. “He is a quick, left-footed striker who has been scoring regularly in Egypt and also creating goals.”
Eswatini Hope to Break Qualifying Duck
Eswatini’s 16 previous attempts to qualify for the Cup of Nations tournament have all failed.
Sifiso Ntibane replaced Zdravko Logarusic as Eswatini coach. The change occurred after the Southern African kingdom came last in a 2026 World Cup qualifying group. They only managed three points from 10 games.
Ntibane chose 13 locals and seven players playing in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This will be a third-ever match against Eritrea. The previous two were…
Lack of Match Practice a Hurdle for Eritrea
A lack of match practice could count against Eritrea. Their last competitive international was a World Cup qualifying defeat in Namibia seven years ago.
Inactivity led FIFA to omit Eritrea from the national team rankings. Eswatini are 46th in Africa and 159th in the world.
Eritrea are aiming to make a strong comeback after a long absence. Their match against Eswatini will determine whether they progress to the group stage of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.