Eritrea set to break African Cup of Nations drought with match against Eswatini

Eritrea is set to break its 18-year hiatus from the Africa Cup of Nations, hosting Eswatini in the Moroccan city of Meknes on Wednesday for the first qualifying match of the 2027 tournament.

The preliminary round first leg, which will take place at the 20,000-seat Stade d’Honneur, was relocated from east to north Africa due to Eritrea's lack of an international-standard venue.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, will stage the return match on March 31, with the aggregate winners advancing to the group stage, comprising 12 four-nation mini-leagues scheduled to begin in September.

Nicknamed the Red Sea Camels, Eritrea has not participated in the premier African national team competition since a 2008 qualifier in Swaziland ended in a draw.

Eritrean football officials have not provided an explanation for the country's absence from nine subsequent Cup of Nations tournaments, but it is widely believed that the reason lies in players seeking asylum while playing abroad.

According to the United Nations, approximately 80 footballers and coaches have defected, citing political repression and lengthy military service as the primary reasons for their decision.

Eritrea has been under the governance of President Isaias Afwerki since gaining independence from Ethiopia in 1993, with human rights groups consistently describing his rule as “highly repressive”.

In Morocco, ahead of the 2025 Cup of Nations, Eritrean national football federation president Paulos Andemariam announced that the country's isolation would come to an end, stating, “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,”.

Local head coach Ermias Tewelde was recently replaced by Hesham Yakan, a former defender with the renowned Cairo club Zamalek and a member of the Egypt squad at the 1990 World Cup.

A 24-man squad has been assembled, featuring 10 local players and Eritreans playing in countries such as Australia, Egypt, England, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, and Sweden.

Siem Eyob-Abraha, who is part of the English second-tier club Sheffield United and previously played for the Manchester United youth squad, is expected to start against Eswatini, along with Egypt-based striker Ali Sulieman.

Eswatini has failed to qualify for the Cup of Nations tournament in all 16 of their previous attempts, and their new coach, Sifiso Ntibane, who succeeded Croatian Zdravko Logarusic, faces a challenging task ahead.

Hesham Yakan has expressed high praise for Ali Sulieman, describing him as “a quick, left-footed striker who has been scoring regularly in Egypt and also creating goals”.

A lack of match practice may hinder Eritrea's performance, as their last competitive international was a World Cup qualifying defeat in Namibia seven years ago, leading to their omission from the FIFA national team rankings.

Eswatini is ranked 46th in Africa and 159th in the world, and coach Sifiso Ntibane has selected 13 local players and seven playing in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe for the upcoming match.

The two teams have met twice before, in 2008 Cup of Nations qualifiers, with both matches ending in goalless draws.

Other preliminary ties include Djibouti, Seychelles, Lesotho, and Sao Tome e Principe, all of whom are at a disadvantage due to being unable to play at home because of inadequate stadiums.

Security concerns have also forced Somalia to relocate their match against Mauritius to the Mozambican capital, Maputo.

The 2027 Cup of Nations tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with the exact dates yet to be announced.