Eritrea secured a 2-0 victory over Eswatini in the first leg of their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 Preliminary Round qualifier played in Meknes, Morocco, on Wednesday March 25th, 2026.
The opening goal of the game was scored in the 81st minute when Siem Eyob-Abraha’s corner flew and curved straight into the net.
Four minutes into added time , Ali Suleiman, went on a mazy run on the left and fired a rocket shot into the roof of the net from close range.
The Eritreans, playing their first continental qualifier in almost 20 years, also missed a penalty as Suleiman saw his effort saved by Eswatini goalkeeper Mlamuli Makhanya, who dived low to his right.
Ironically, Eritrea’s previous TotalEnergies CAF AFCON qualifier was also against Eswatini in September 2007. The side finished second in their qualification pool that year.
The two teams will now travel to Eswatini for the return leg, which will be played on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 to determine who gets to the next round; the Group Stage qualifiers..
The fixture was the opening match of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 Preliminary Round qualifiers.
The six teams who advance through the Preliminary Round will join the other 42 Member Associations in the Group Phase.
The continental finals will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania next year, the first time they have been staged in East Africa in 51 years.
The preliminary round, with home-and-away fixtures spread across Southern, Eastern and Central Africa, already promises tightly contested encounters as teams look to seize the initiative before the decisive return legs.
On 27 March, Somalia face Mauritius in the first leg at Lalgy Arena in Matola, before Mauritius host the return encounter at the National Sports Complex in Saint Pierre on 31 March.
Also on 27 March, Sao Tome e Principe take on Ethiopia in El Jadida before the second leg shifts to Dire Dawa on 31 March.
