Eritrea: What Bafana need to know about their next AFCON qualifier opponents

Eritrea may not carry the profile of Guinea or South Africa, but the Red Sea Camels have already shown they cannot be taken lightly ahead of Wednesday’s AFCON 2027 qualifier.

South Africa face Eritrea at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday, September 30, with Bafana looking to build on their opening victory over Guinea.

Eritrea, meanwhile, earned a valuable point in their opening Group D fixture, holding Kenya to a draw in Nairobi.

They were actually on course for all three points after taking the lead through Nahom Netabay before Kenya equalised through Ryan Ogam in the 87th minute. Eritrea’s own federation described their first-half display as strong. 

A team rebuilding

The Eritrean national team is going through something of a transformation under Egyptian coach Hesham Yakan, who became the country’s first foreign coach in 18 years.

Yakan has overseen a major shift in recruitment, with Eritrea bringing in more players based outside the country in an effort to strengthen the national team.

Their 30-man AFCON qualifying squad is predominantly made up of foreign-based players, with only three players from Eritrean domestic clubs: captain Abelom Teklezghi, Nahom Tadesse and striker Romel Abdu. 

That change is partly linked to Eritrea’s long-standing player-defection problems and the difficulties surrounding their domestic football infrastructure.

They cannot play at home

Bafana will technically be the away side on Wednesday, but Eritrea will not enjoy home advantage in the traditional sense.

The Red Sea Camels do not currently have a CAF-approved stadium, leaving them to play their home qualifier in Cairo.

Eritrea’s national team arrived in Egypt on Monday after travelling from Kenya, with the squad now preparing for its second Group D fixture. 

Chasing a first AFCON appearance

Eritrea have never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Their return to the AFCON qualifying group stage is therefore significant, with the Red Sea Camels back at this stage of the competition for the first time since the 2008 qualifiers. 

They first had to navigate the preliminary stage, where they beat Eswatini 4-1 on aggregate to reach the group phase.

Now they find themselves in a difficult Group D alongside South Africa, Guinea and Kenya.

And because Kenya are automatically qualified as one of the three 2027 hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania, only one of South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea can claim the remaining qualification place from the group. 

That makes Wednesday’s encounter particularly important.