Having secured their place by beating Eswatini in the preliminary round in March, Eritrea may not participate in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after the defection of seven internationals, adding to the dozens of players who have fled abroad in recent years.

After a six-year absence from the international stage, Eritrea played two matches against Eswatini in March, during the preliminary round of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, winning 4-1 on aggregate. But this success could paradoxically mark the end of international matches for the East African nation. Following their last match on March 31, seven players from the national team disappeared.

Led by President Isaias Afwerki since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea had not allowed its teams to travel abroad since players from its under-20 team fled to Uganda in 2019. It is estimated that around 80 footballers defected while playing for the national team abroad, fleeing the repressive regime in place in the country and prompting the government to ban travel.

Eritrea had not participated in the preliminary round since 2008

The Eritrean national team, coached by former Egyptian international Hesham Yakan, appointed manager just two weeks before the first leg, caused a major upset by defeating Eswatini (2-0 in the first leg in Morocco, 2-1 in the return leg in Lobamba, the capital of Eswatini), thus advancing to the group stage of the qualifiers, which will bring together 42 African teams between September and November. The recent departure of several key players casts doubt on the country's participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, nineteen years after its last appearance in the preliminary round.