Eritrea progressed to the group stage of qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after a preliminary round victory over Djibouti. The Red Sea Boys returned to the competition for the first time since 2007, ending a 19-year absence from continental qualifying fixtures. According to Reuters, the Eritrean men's national team was one of six nations to advance from the preliminary phase this week.
Eswatini, Liberia, South Sudan, Chad, and Mauritius also secured their spots in the main qualifying draw, per ESPN. The Confederation of African Football confirmed that 48 teams will now be divided into 12 groups for the next stage of the tournament. Eritrea had previously withdrawn from various international competitions and did not enter the qualifying rounds for the 2023 or 2025 editions of the tournament.
The 2027 finals are scheduled to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Eritrea's return to competitive action follows several years of inactivity on the international stage, during which the team's FIFA ranking was removed due to a lack of matches.
