Eritrea has withdrawn from African qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, according to soccer’s global governing body. The withdrawal occurred less than a week before their opening game. No reason was provided for the decision.
Eritrea was part of Group E and was scheduled to start their campaign in Morocco on November 16. Despite their withdrawal, the qualifying group will proceed with the remaining five teams, which include Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, and Niger.
In a statement, FIFA confirmed that the Eritrean National Football Federation has withdrawn from the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary competition. As a result, all of Eritrea’s games have been canceled. However, the rest of the Group E schedule will remain unchanged.
The article was reported by Trevor Stynes and edited by Ed Osmond. The Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles are upheld in their reporting.
