Eritrea Returns to AFCON After 18 Years, Faces Eswatini in 2027 Qualifier

Eritrea will return to the Africa Cup of Nations after 18 years, hosting Eswatini in Morocco for the first leg of the 2027 qualifiers. The squad includes local and international players, with key strikers Siem Eyob-Abraha and Ali Sulieman expected to lead the team. Lack of recent competitive matches could be a challenge, while Eswatini aims to qualify for the first time.

Eritrea is set to end an 18-year absence from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) when they host Eswatini in the first leg of the 2027 tournament qualifiers in the Moroccan city of Meknes. The match will take place at the 20,000-seat Stade d'Honneur, having been moved from Eritrea due to the country lacking a venue that meets international standards. The return leg is scheduled for March 31 in Eswatini, and the aggregate winners will advance to the group stage of the tournament, which will feature 12 four-nation mini-leagues beginning in September.
The Eritrean national team, popularly known as the Red Sea Camels, last participated in the premier African national team competition in 2008 when they drew a qualifier against Swaziland (now Eswatini). The country has not explained its absence from the nine subsequent Cup of Nations tournaments. Speaking ahead of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, Eritrean Football Federation President Paulos Andemariam confirmed that Eritrea would participate in the 2027 qualifiers. He expressed confidence in the team’s strength, highlighting the inclusion of many Eritreans playing professionally outside Africa.
The squad is led by newly appointed head coach Hesham Yakan, a former defender for Cairo club Zamalek and a member of the Egypt squad at the 1990 World Cup, who replaced Ermias Tewelde. The 24-man squad comprises 10 local players alongside Eritreans playing in countries including Australia, Egypt, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, and Sweden. Key players expected to start against Eswatini are Siem Eyob-Abraha, who plays for English Championship club Sheffield United and previously trained with Manchester United’s youth setup, and Egypt-based striker Ali Sulieman, who has been scoring and creating goals consistently. Yakan praised Sulieman as a quick, left-footed striker.
Despite the optimism, Eritrea faces challenges due to a lack of regular match practice. Their last competitive international was a World Cup qualifying defeat in Namibia seven years ago, which contributed to FIFA omitting Eritrea from the national team rankings. In contrast, Eswatini is ranked 46th in Africa and 159th globally. Eswatini’s squad, coached by Sifiso Ntibane who replaced Croatian Zdravko Logarusic after a poor 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, includes 13 local players and seven playing in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This match will be the third encounter between the two teams, with the previous two 2008 qualifiers ending goalless.
Several other preliminary AFCON 2027 ties face logistical challenges. Djibouti, Seychelles, Lesotho, and São Tomé and Príncipe are unable to play at home due to inadequate stadiums, while security concerns prevent Somalia from hosting Mauritius, moving their first leg to Maputo, Mozambique. Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have been announced as co-hosts for the 2027 Cup of Nations tournament, with specific dates yet to be confirmed. The upcoming qualifiers mark an important step in Eritrea’s return to African football, offering the Red Sea Camels a chance to re-establish themselves on the continental stage.