AFCON 2023 Qualifiers
Eritrea confirm pulling out of AFCON 2023 qualifiers
The Eritrea National Football Federation (ENFF) has confirmed that their team will not play in the preliminary round of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 qualifiers.
Eritrea had been drawn to face Botswana in the preliminary round to be played this month.
But the ENFF President, Abraham Esayas confirmed to Cecafaonline.com that they have not pulled out of the qualifiers.
“We have pulled out because we have not prepared a team. We have also had several communication challenges which could not make it possible for us to prepare a team,” said Esayas.
The Eritrean team last played in the preliminary round of the FIFA World Cup 2022 against Namibia in September 2019.
Three other teams from the CECAFA region Somalia, South Sudan and Djibouti are now left to tussle it out in the preliminary round of the AFCON 2023 qualifiers.
Djibouti will face South Sudan, while Somalia battle Eswatini.