As we kick off a two-week international break, the preliminary stage of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification gets underway.
The 2027 edition of the continental showpiece will be co-hosted by a trio of East African nations – Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. A total of 24 teams will qualify for the tournament.
The preliminary round kicks off on Wednesday, March 25 – featuring the eight lowest-ranked teams from the FIFA rankings. The winners of the two-legged ties will then progress to the group stage of the competition.
These teams are Somalia, Djibouti, São Tomé and Principe, Chad, Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia and Eswatini.
Here we have a look at the first leg of the matches and offer our predicted outcome.
Eritrea vs Eswatini – Wednesday, 5PM
After an 18-year absence from AFCON, Eritrea are all set to battle it out for a place in the tournament. The last time they featured in the tournament was in 2008.
They come into the game without a win in their last five outings – with their last game resulting in a 1-0 defeat to Niger in May last year.
They take on an Eswatini side who are also without a win in their last five games – losing four times and sharing the spoils in another. They lost their last match 3-0 to Cape Verde in a World Cup qualifier last October.
With the lack of playing time, Eritrea are not favorites to win here and they may have to settle for a point in the first leg.
Prediction – Eritrea to win or draw
São Tomé and Principe vs Ethiopia – Wednesday, 5PM
The hosts are looking to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since 2019. Their last match was a 1-0 win against Malawi in a World Cup qualifier last October.
The win snapped a dismal seven-game losing streak as they look to get a positive result in the first leg.
They face an Ethiopia side who have won two and lost three in their last five games. Burkina Faso beat Ethiopia 3-1 in their last outing on October 12 last year.
These two sides have played each other twice in their history – with each team winning once.
Prediction – Over 1.5 goals
Djibouti vs South Sudan – Thursday, 4PM
Djibouti are currently on the worst run of form on the continent, losing all of their previous 10 games prior to this encounter. They have conceded 19 goals in their last five matches.
South Sudan are also on an eight-game winless run and are coming off a 2-0 defeat to Syria. The visitors have been dominant over their opponents in their previous head-to-head encounters, winning four of the last five matches.
There is plenty on the line for both sides as they seek a way back into the tournament, setting this up to be a rather cagey encounter. Aside from Sudan’s 1-0 win in 2022, the remaining matches have produced over 1.5 goals and the same can be expected here.
Prediction – Over 1.5 goals
Chad vs Burundi – Friday, 4PM
Both these sides come into the game on similar runs of form – losing four times and sharing the spoils in the other.
Chad played out to a 2-2 draw against Mozambique in their last outing, while Burundi lost 2-0 to Gabon in a World Cup qualifier on October 14 last year.
This will be the first competitive meeting between these two nations. The hosts have a fully fit squad and are tipped as favorites to avoid defeat in the first leg.
Prediction – Chad to win or draw (1X)
