Eritrea to end 18-year AFCON hiatus by hosting Eswatini

By Ehichoya Janet

Eritrea is set to return to the Africa Cup of Nations stage after an 18-year absence, hosting Eswatini on Wednesday in Moroccan city Meknes for the first leg of the 2027 AFCON preliminary qualifiers.

The match will be played at the 20,000-seat Stade d’Honneur, relocated from Eritrea due to the country’s lack of an international-standard venue. The return leg is scheduled for March 31 in Eswatini, with the aggregate winner advancing to the group stage, which will feature 12 four-team mini-leagues beginning in September.

Nicknamed the Red Sea Camels, Eritrea last participated in the continent’s premier tournament during a 2008 qualifier in Swaziland. Officials have never formally explained the absence from nine subsequent editions, though defections by players seeking asylum abroad are widely believed to be a key factor. The United Nations estimates that about 80 footballers and coaches have defected over the years, citing political repression and mandatory military service as major challenges.

Eritrea has been ruled by President Isaias Afwerki since independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Human rights groups consistently describe his administration as highly repressive.

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Speaking ahead of the 2027 qualifiers, Eritrean Football Federation president Paulos Andemariam confirmed the country’s re-entry into AFCON:
“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Local head coach Ermias Tewelde has been replaced by Hesham Yakan, a former Zamalek defender and member of Egypt’s 1990 World Cup squad. The 24-man squad blends 10 domestic players with Eritreans based in Australia, Egypt, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, and Sweden.

Key players include Siem Eyob-Abraha, who plays for Sheffield United and was previously part of Manchester United’s youth setup, and Egypt-based striker Ali Sulieman. Yakan praised Sulieman, calling him “a quick, left-footed striker who has been scoring regularly in Egypt and also creating goals.”

Eritrea’s main challenge will be a lack of match practice, with their last competitive international dating back seven years to a World Cup qualifying defeat in Namibia. This inactivity has led FIFA to omit Eritrea from the national team rankings. By comparison, Eswatini are ranked 46th in Africa and 159th in the world.

Sifiso Ntibane, who replaced Croatian Zdravko Logarusic as Eswatini coach after the kingdom finished last in 2026 World Cup qualifying, has called up 13 local players and seven based in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This will be only the third-ever competitive meeting between the two nations; previous 2008 AFCON qualifiers ended goalless.

Other preliminary round fixtures have also been affected by stadium limitations or security concerns. Djibouti, Seychelles, Lesotho, and São Tomé e Príncipe cannot host matches at home, while Somalia has moved its tie against Mauritius to Maputo, Mozambique.

Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will co-host the 2027 AFCON finals, with dates yet to be confirmed.

AFP