South Africa warned not to underestimate Eritrea in crucial AFCON qualifier

South Africa face Eritrea in Cairo on Wednesday, September 30, knowing their opponents have already demonstrated their ability to cause problems in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The match will be played at the Al-Salam Stadium, where Bafana will technically be the away team despite Eritrea having no conventional home advantage. The Red Sea Camels do not currently have a CAF-approved stadium, so their home fixture is being staged in Egypt.

South Africa began Group D with victory over Guinea, while Eritrea collected a valuable point in their opening match after drawing with Kenya in Nairobi.

Eritrea appeared to be heading for all three points after Nahom Netabay put them ahead. Kenya eventually rescued a draw when Ryan Ogam scored in the 87th minute. The Eritrean federation described its side’s first-half performance as strong.

The national team is being reshaped under Egyptian coach Hesham Yakan, who became Eritrea’s first foreign manager in 18 years. One of the main changes under Yakan has been the increased recruitment of players based outside Eritrea.

Only three members of the 30-man squad for the AFCON qualifiers play for Eritrean domestic clubs: captain Abelom Teklezghi, Nahom Tadesse and striker Romel Abdu. The move towards selecting more overseas-based players is partly a response to Eritrea’s long-standing player-defection problems and the challenges facing football infrastructure within the country.

Eritrea travelled to Egypt from Kenya on Monday and are preparing for their second Group D fixture.

They have never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations. Their presence in the qualifying group stage is therefore notable, particularly as it is their first return to this phase since the 2008 qualifiers.

Before reaching the group stage, Eritrea had to come through the preliminary round. They defeated Eswatini 4-1 on aggregate to secure their place among the group contestants.

They now face a demanding section containing South Africa, Guinea and Kenya. Kenya’s position adds further importance to every fixture because it will automatically qualify for the 2027 tournament as one of the three hosts, alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

That leaves only one qualification place available from Group D for South Africa, Guinea or Eritrea. As a result, Wednesday’s meeting in Cairo carries significant weight for both Bafana and the Red Sea Camels.