Eritrea national football team will make a long awaited return to continental football when they face Eswatini national football team in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Wednesday in Meknes, Morocco.
The first leg of the preliminary round will be played at the Stade d’Honneur after Eritrea were unable to host the match at home due to the lack of an approved international stadium. The return leg is scheduled for March 31, with the winner over two legs advancing to the group stage of the qualifiers.
This fixture marks Eritrea’s first involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in 18 years, having last featured during the 2008 campaign. Since then, the team has remained absent from the competition, with reports linking their withdrawal to concerns over players seeking asylum while on international duty.
Now back in the fold, Eritrea arrive with a mixed squad of home based players and foreign professionals, including Siem Eyob-Abraha and Egypt based forward Ali Sulieman, both expected to lead the attack.
Head coach Hesham Yakan, who recently took over the team, will be aiming to guide the side through what is their first competitive outing in several years. However, a lack of match fitness could prove a challenge, with their last competitive game dating back to a World Cup qualifier defeat seven years ago.
Eswatini, under coach Sifiso Ntibane, come into the tie looking to finally break their long standing struggle in AFCON qualification, having failed in all previous attempts. Their squad includes a blend of domestic players and professionals based in southern Africa.
Both teams have met twice before during the 2008 qualifiers, with both encounters ending goalless, setting the stage for a tightly contested battle as they chase a place in the next round.
The 2027 tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and Eritrea will be hoping their return marks the beginning of a new chapter on the continental stage.
