Elsewhere, Eritrea have returned to the group phase of Africa Cup of Nations qualifying for the first time since the campaign for the 2008 tournament. They secured their place by defeating Eswatini 4-1 on aggregate in March’s preliminary round.
Chad, Djibouti, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, and Seychelles are the five other countries that have already been knocked out.
However, seven Eritrean players left the team following the away leg of the tie, which took place in South Africa.
Eritrean athletes choosing not to return to their one-party, heavily militarised homeland has been a long-standing concern. The issue contributed to the East African country’s withdrawal from qualifying for both the 2023 continental championship and the 2026 World Cup.
Nevertheless, Eritrea, drawn in Group D with Kenya, South Africa and Guinea, are now depending primarily on players from diaspora communities.
Only three domestically based footballers have been selected for the opening two matches. Eritrea first face the competition’s co-hosts in Nairobi on Saturday, followed by a designated home fixture against South Africa in Cairo on Tuesday.
Somalia, meanwhile, have advanced to the qualifying group stage for the first time in their history, although they face a demanding challenge against Ivory Coast, Ghana and The Gambia.
Somalia are ranked 53rd in Africa, but like Eritrea, they can still hope to qualify for the continental tournament as it returns to East Africa for the first time since 1976.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
