Eritrea returns to AFCON after 18-year absence, faces Eswatini in 2027 qualifiers

Eritrea is set to return to Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) action for the first time in 18 years when it takes on Eswatini in the preliminary round of the 2027 tournament on Wednesday.

The opening leg will be held at the 20,000-capacity Stade d’Honneur in Meknes, Morocco, with the return leg scheduled for March 31.

This fixture marks the Red Sea Camels’ first competitive international match in nearly a decade.

For this campaign, Eritrea has named a 24-man squad blending local talent with diaspora players from Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Philippines.

Leading the attack are strikers Ali Sulieman, who plays in Egypt, and Siem Eyob-Abraha of Sheffield United in England.

Former Zamalek defender Hesham Yakan has been appointed head coach, replacing Ermias Tewelde.

Yakan brings extensive experience from African club football and World Cup campaigns.

“The Egyptian was unveiled over by the Eritrean National Football Federation (ENFF) on a one-year contract,” CECAFA said in a statement on Sunday.

Eswatini, ranked 159th in the world, has never qualified for the AFCON but has faced Eritrea twice before, with both encounters ending in draws during the 2008 qualifiers.

Coach Sifiso Ntibane has called up a squad of 20 players, including 13 locals and seven based in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, for only the third-ever meeting between the sides.

The first leg is being staged in Morocco due to Eritrea’s lack of an international-standard stadium.

Other preliminary round matches have also been relocated for similar reasons, affecting teams including Djibouti, Seychelles, Lesotho, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Somalia.

Winners of the preliminary round will progress to the group stage, featuring 12 groups of four teams each.

The 2027 tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with group-stage dates yet to be announced.

Eritrea’s long AFCON absence has been shaped by political instability and frequent defections of players and coaches abroad.

The national team last played a competitive fixture in a 2016 World Cup qualifier in Namibia and has remained unranked by FIFA since.