Eritrea sealed their place in the next stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers after defeating Eswatini 2-1 in the second leg on Tuesday, securing a 4-1 aggregate victory.
Holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, Eritrea once again proved clinical when it mattered, with Ali Suleiman who plays as a forward for Egyptian Premier League club Kahraba Ismailia delivering a decisive performance to guide his side through.
After a goalless first half, Eritrea took control of the tie early in the second period.
Suleiman opened the scoring in the 50th minute before doubling his tally just nine minutes later, effectively putting the contest beyond Eswatini’s reach.
Eswatini did manage a late consolation goal through South African Premiership club Chippa United winger Justice Figuareido deep into stoppage time, but it proved too little, too late to change the outcome of the tie.
Despite their efforts, Eswatini struggled to overturn the deficit from the first leg, where Eritrea had already laid a strong foundation with a 2-0 victory.
That earlier result, achieved in Morocco, had given Eritrea a crucial cushion heading into the return fixture.
The victory marks an important milestone for Eritrea, who are competing in AFCON qualifiers for the first time in nearly two decades.
Eritrea will now join the next phase of the qualifiers alongside other advancing teams, as they continue their pursuit of a place at the AFCON 2027 finals, set to be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Eritrea will now join the next phase of the qualifiers alongside other advancing teams, as they continue their pursuit of a place at the AFCON 2027 finals, set to be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
