Eritrea marked their long-awaited return to continental football with a 2-0 victory over Eswatini in the first leg of their preliminary round clash in the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers on Wednesday.

Playing in Meknes, Morocco, the Eritreans secured a late win to take a strong advantage into the return leg next week.

After a closely contested encounter, Eritrea broke the deadlock in the 81st minute through Siem Eyob-Abraha, whose corner kick evaded everyone in the box and went straight into the net.

The victory was sealed deep into stoppage time when talisman Ali Suleiman produced a moment of brilliance. The forward embarked on a dazzling run down the left before unleashing a powerful shot into the roof of the net to double Eritrea’s lead.

Despite their win, Eritrea could have extended their advantage earlier, but Suleiman missed from the penalty spot after Eswatini goalkeeper Mlamuli Makhanya dived low to his right to make a crucial save.

The match marked Eritrea’s first appearance in AFCON qualification in nearly two decades, with their last outing coming against Eswatini in 2007, where they finished second in their qualification group.

The two sides will meet again in Eswatini for the second leg on Tuesday, where Eritrea will aim to protect their lead and advance to the next stage.

The winner of the tie will progress from the preliminary round to join 42 other teams in the group phase of qualification.

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, marking the tournament’s return to East Africa for the first time in over 50 years.

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The journey to the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 begins this week as 12 nations battle for six available spots in the preliminary round of qualifiers.

The opening phase of the race for AFCON PAMOJA 2027, set to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will see the continent’s lowest-ranked teams, based on FIFA rankings at the time of the draw, compete over two legs for a place in the group stage qualifiers.

Race for Six Places

Following the success of the 2025 tournament in Morocco, a new qualification cycle gets underway with fixtures spread across Southern, Eastern and Central Africa.

The preliminary round promises closely contested encounters, with teams aiming to gain an early advantage before decisive return legs.

Among the standout fixtures:

• Eritrea face Eswatini in Meknes before the return leg in Lobamba
• Lesotho and Seychelles meet twice in Bloemfontein
• Djibouti and South Sudan clash in back-to-back matches in Juba
• Somalia take on Mauritius across two legs in Mozambique and Saint Pierre
• Chad battle Burundi between N’Djamena and Bujumbura
• São Tomé and Príncipe face Ethiopia, with matches in El Jadida and Dire Dawa

The six winners from these ties will advance to join 42 other teams in the group stage qualifiers.

Some ties present unusual dynamics, notably Djibouti versus South Sudan, where both legs will be played in Juba, giving South Sudan a potential home advantage in both fixtures.

Similarly, Lesotho and Seychelles will contest both legs in Bloemfontein, adding another interesting twist to the qualification format.

Qualification Format and Timeline

The next phase will feature a group stage involving 13 groups of three or four teams. The 13 group winners qualify automatically. They will be joined by three best runners-up. The remaining 10 runners-up compete in a playoff round for the final qualifying spots

Key qualification windows are scheduled for:

• September 21–30, 2026: Match Day 1 and 2
• October 1–6, 2026: Match Day 3 and 4
• November 9–17, 2026: Match Day 5 and 6.  

The finals, scheduled from June 19 to July 18, 2027, will mark a historic moment as the first Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by three countries. It will also be the last to hold under the two-year cycle.

As the preliminary round kicks off, smaller footballing nations have a rare opportunity to build momentum and dream of reaching the continent’s biggest stage.

For the 12 teams involved, the message is clear: the road to AFCON 2027 starts now—and only half will take the next step.

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By Kunle Solaja.

The CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb has stated that the tribunal is prepared to handle the Senegal case against CAF and Morocco efficiently.

“CAS is perfectly equipped to resolve this type of dispute, with the assistance of expert and independent arbitrators,” he said.

“We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision, and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.”

CAS noted that proceedings will remain confidential while ongoing, with further updates to be provided only when key milestones, such as a hearing date, are confirmed.

The case now sets the stage for a potentially landmark legal battle over the outcome of one of Africa’s biggest football competitions, with the final status of the AFCON 2025 title hanging in the balance.

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