D-Day as Eritrea kick start Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers

The Red Sea Camels of Eritrea will take to the field this evening to face Eswatini in the first leg of the preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027.

Eritrea will host the Southern Africa side at the Stade d’Honneur in Morocco.

Hasham Yakan, the Eritrea head coach has made it clear that winning the first leg will be very important to give them advantage going into the return leg.

“We have tried to prepare in the last few days and the players know what is expected of them. We need to work hard as a team to get a positive result,” added Yakan.

Forward Ali Suleiman Ali Suleiman who has been in excellent form for his Egyptian Premier League side Kahraba Ismailia made it clear he is excited to be with the national team.

“We are ready and determined to give a good performance against Eswatini,” added Suleiman who played a pivotal role when Eritrea finished second to hosts Uganda at the 2019 regional CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.

The second leg will be played six days later at the same Stadium with the winner over two legs joining other teams to play in the group qualifiers.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).