Football: 19 years later, Eritrea will compete for the qualifications of AFCON

Absent from the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations since the 2008 edition, Eritrea has completed the administrative forms and has given their guarantee to compete in the AFCON 2027 qualifications. A relief for players who have been private in official matches for more than six years.

“I can confirm that we are registered to play the qualifiers at the AFCON 2027.” 

With no public statement, the president of the Eritrean federation, Paulos Weldehaimanot Andemariam, spoke on the website of CECAFA, the Council of Football Associations of East and Central Africa to which his country is attached.

Invited like the other federation presidents to Morocco for the current AFCON, he confirmed "positive discussions" with the government and the idea of calling several players "evolving outside the African continent" in order to present "a strong team".

Afraid of a big fine
Irritated by the repeated, and sometimes last-minute, abhorring of Eritrea,  CAF modified its rules in recent months by significantly increasing fines and suspensions for teams not participating in official meetings.

Aware that this sanction could be very detrimental to the country, the local federation worked (keeping CAF informed) with the government to obtain the necessary agreements and guarantees.

If the announcement was greeted with enthusiasm, it also recalls that the last qualification match for the AFCON played by the Red Sea Camels dates from September 9, 2007 to what was still called Swaziland! Second in their qualifying group behind Angola, Eritrea had notably beaten Kenya in Asmara and in Nairobi, proof of a certain potential.

Since the qualifications for the 2022 World Cup, stopped in the first round against Namibia (4-1 cumulatively) on September 10, 2019, the selection settled for a friendly on January 25, 2020 against Sudan (defeat 0-1), then two friendly meetings on the sidelines of the 32nd anniversary of the nation’s independence from Niger A’ on May 26 and 28, 2025 (0-0 and defeat 0-1).

Which team? Which coach?
If the statements of Paulos Weldehaimanot Andemariam evoke players based around the world, "which will avoid potential defections," says a CECAFA leader privately, there is currently no certainty about their presence.

Inactive for years, the national team having grouped together for the commemorations and festivities of independence was for example only composed of local players who play in some regional tournaments organized sporadically.

Without regular practice, despite the abundance of good technicians, Eritrea starts from scratch within an African football context where no one spares a starter especially in competition. For now no news on who will coach nor which players will be called up nor when all of this will happen. Starting is always better than waiting.