Eritrea is set to end an 18-year absence from the Africa Cup of Nations as they take on Eswatini in the first leg of the 2027 qualifiers on Wednesday. The match will be held in the Moroccan city of Meknes at the 20,000-seat Stade d’Honneur, a relocation necessitated by Eritrea’s lack of an international-standard stadium.
The return leg will take place in Eswatini on March 31, with the aggregate winner advancing to the group stage, which will feature 12 four-nation mini-leagues starting in September. Eritrea, nicknamed the Red Sea Camels, last participated in the continental tournament during a 2008 qualifier in Swaziland, drawing that match but failing to appear in the nine subsequent editions. While officials have never publicly explained the prolonged absence, it is widely linked to players seeking asylum while playing abroad, with the United Nations estimating around 80 footballers and coaches have defected due to political repression and mandatory military service under President Isaias Afwerki’s highly repressive regime.
Ahead of the match, Eritrean Football Federation president Paulos Andemariam expressed optimism. “After positive discussions with our government, we have registered to play in the 2027 AFCON. I believe we will have a strong team, including many Eritreans playing outside Africa,” he said. The squad recently saw a change in leadership, with local coach Ermias Tewelde replaced by Hesham Yakan, a former Zamalek defender and member of Egypt’s 1990 World Cup squad.
The 24-man squad combines 10 home-based players with Eritreans playing abroad in countries including Australia, Egypt, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, and Sweden. Forward Siem Eyob-Abraha, currently with English second-tier club Sheffield United and formerly part of Manchester United’s youth setup, is expected to lead the attack alongside Egypt-based striker Ali Sulieman. Yakan praised Sulieman’s pace and goal-scoring ability, describing him as “a quick, left-footed striker who has been scoring regularly in Egypt and also creating goals.”
A lack of recent competitive play could challenge Eritrea. Their last international match was a World Cup qualifier defeat in Namibia seven years ago, leading FIFA to remove the team from the rankings. Eswatini, ranked 46th in Africa and 159th globally, is coached by Sifiso Ntibane, who succeeded Croatian Zdravko Logarusic following a disappointing 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Ntibane has selected a squad of 13 local players and seven based in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This will be only the third-ever meeting between the two nations, with the previous 2008 qualifiers ending in goalless draws.
Other preliminary qualifiers face similar challenges, with Djibouti, Seychelles, Lesotho, and Sao Tome e Principe unable to host matches due to inadequate facilities. Somalia has moved its fixture against Mauritius to Maputo, Mozambique, for security reasons. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with exact dates yet to be announced.
