Somalia vs. Eswatini Africa Cup of Nations – Match Analysis
Close to a month after the previous edition, the qualification process for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations commences this week.
Somalia will take on Eswatini in the first leg of the preliminary round on Wednesday.
Match Preview
These two teams clashed in the preliminary round of the 2023 AFCON, which saw Eswatini emerge victorious with a 5-1 aggregate score, securing their place in Group B alongside Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, and Togo.
Despite a valiant effort, Dominic Kunene’s team failed to advance to the main draw, finishing at the bottom of their qualification group with three points from six matches.
Eswatini made it to the COSAFA Cup quarter-finals last year but holds a poor overall record, with just one win in their last 15 matches across various competitions. This includes losses in both of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers last November.
Meanwhile, Somalia enters the qualifiers as the 13th lowest-ranked team globally and the second lowest in the CAF region, only ahead of Seychelles (excluded from the competition) and unranked Eritrea.
Somalia is yet to qualify for the AFCON or the FIFA World Cup but has participated in numerous qualifying matches for both tournaments.
Their first-ever victory in a World Cup qualifier came in September 2019 when they defeated Zimbabwe 1-0 in the first leg tie.
Recent game time for the Ocean Stars has been limited, with underwhelming performances in the few matches played.
In 2023, they suffered defeats in all four games, including losses in their World Cup qualifiers against Algeria (3-1) and Uganda (1-0) last November.
Eswatini has won both previous encounters between these teams, scoring five goals and conceding just one.
Recent Form
- Somalia: LLLLLL
- Eswatini: LDDLLL
Possible Lineups
Somalia: (4-4-2)
Yusuf;
Mohamed; Elmi, Ismail, Ibrahim;
Jama, Abdi, Ilyas, Ahmed;
Hassan, Abatari
Eswatini: (4-5-1)
Shabalala;
Manana, Mabelesa, Silenge, Thwala;
Matsa, Mkhonto, Ndzinisa, Ginindiza, Matsebula;
Magagula
Prediction: Somalia 0-2 Eswatini
Although both teams rank low in the region, Eswatini has played more football recently and achieved notable results, such as holding Burkina Faso and South Africa to draws while defeating Namibia within the last year.
They are expected to outperform Somalia in this match.
- Prediction: Eswatini Win
- Betting Tip: Under 2.5 Goals
