Eritrea is set to end an 18-year hiatus from the Africa Cup of Nations by participating in the 2027 qualifiers, with their first match against Eswatini scheduled for Wednesday in Meknes, Morocco. Due to the lack of an international-standard venue in Eritrea, the preliminary round first leg will be held in North Africa, with the return match on March 31. Eritrea, known as the Red Sea Camels, has not competed in the premier African national team competition since a 2008 qualifier, with their prolonged absence widely attributed to players seeking asylum abroad due to political repression and mandatory military service. The Eritrean squad, managed by Hesham Yakan, comprises both local players and Eritreans from various international leagues, aiming to overcome a lack of recent match practice.