Eritrea will face South Africa, Guinea and Kenya in Group D of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, giving the Red Sea Camels a demanding but historic route toward a first appearance at Africa’s biggest football tournament.
The draw was held Tuesday at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, where CAF confirmed the qualifying path for the tournament to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Kenya, already guaranteed a place at the finals as one of the three hosts, will still compete in the qualifiers.
That changes the weight of Group D. CAF says only one additional team will qualify from any group containing a host nation, while two teams will advance from the other groups. For Eritrea, that means the real contest for the available ticket is likely to run through South Africa and Guinea, with every point carrying extra value.
South Africa enter the group as the top seed, while Guinea bring regular AFCON experience and a strong record in recent qualifying cycles. Kenya add regional familiarity and home-tournament momentum, even though their place at the finals is already secured.
Eritrea reached the group stage after beating Eswatini 4-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round. CECAFA reported that Eritrea won the return leg 2-1 in Eswatini after earlier taking a 2-0 first-leg advantage, with Ibrahim Sulieman Ibrahim scoring twice in the second match.
The wider East African picture is also striking. Somalia, another preliminary-round winner from the CECAFA region, has been drawn in Group C with Ivory Coast, Ghana and The Gambia. Ethiopia and Sudan will meet in Group J alongside Senegal and Mozambique, while Tanzania, also already qualified as a host, will play Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in Group L.
CAF has scheduled the first two qualifying matchdays between September 21 and October 6, 2026. Matchdays three and four will be played from November 9 to 17, before the final two rounds take place from March 22 to 30, 2027.
The 2027 AFCON, officially branded PAMOJA 2027, will open on June 19 and end with the final on July 17. CAF says it will be the first Africa Cup of Nations hosted by three countries and the competition’s return to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia staged the tournament in 1976.
For Eritrea, the group is difficult. But it is also clear. To reach PAMOJA 2027, the Red Sea Camels will have to turn their preliminary-round momentum into results against two of Africa’s more established sides.
