Eritrea clinched a 2-0 win against Eswatini in the first leg of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 Preliminary Round qualifier, held in Meknes, Morocco, on Wednesday.

The breakthrough came in the 81st minute when Siem Eyob-Abraha’s corner kick surprisingly curled straight into the net, catching everyone off guard.

Four minutes into stoppage time, their star player, Ali Suleiman, added to the scoreline with a dazzling run down the left side, unleashing a powerful strike into the roof of the net from close range.

This match marked Eritrea’s first continental qualifier in nearly two decades, though they did miss a penalty when Suleiman’s shot was saved by Eswatini’s goalkeeper, Mlamuli Makhanya, who made a crucial dive to his right.

Interestingly, Eritrea’s last CAF AFCON qualifier was also against Eswatini back in September 2007, where they finished second in their qualification group.

Now, both teams will head to Eswatini for the return leg, scheduled for Tuesday next week.

This match kicked off the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 Preliminary Round qualifiers. The six teams that advance from this round will join the other 42 Member Associations in the Group Phase.

Next year, the continental finals will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, marking the first time the tournament will take place in East Africa in 51 years.