Ethiopian national team Coach, Wubetu Abate, called up 26 players to prepare for the upcoming Qatar World Cup qualifiers in Pretoria stadium, South Africa. The Walias were drawn with South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe for their qualifiers.
The Walias have lost three of their last four World Cup qualifier matches, with two games left in the group stage. The match against Ghana is set to take place on November 11, 2021 in South Africa after it was chosen as a neutral stadium.
It is to be recalled that the match was scheduled to take place in Bahir Dar. However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) inspection team decided to ban all stadiums in Ethiopia from hosting international matches, reasoning they do not fulfill international standards.
Nonetheless, Ghana submitted a complaint to FIFA regarding the rescheduled match against Ethiopia, stating the sporting integrity of the World Cup qualifying matches must not be compromised and must ensure that fairness prevails in the remaining two group matches.
Following the match between Ethiopia and Ghana on November 11, 2021, the Ethiopian team is expected to travel to Zimbabwe on November 14, 2021, to play their final match against Zimbabwe in Harare.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Premier League (EPL), which has been underway at Hawassa University Stadium for the past three weeks, has been suspended until November 21, 2021, on account of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
According to the EPL share company, when the national team returns from their international exploits against Ghana and Zimbabwe, the Premier League will resume in Hawassa after November 21, 2021 until December 24, 2021.
According to the EPL Share Company general manager, Kifle Siefe, the company will suspend league matches for another month if the team progresses.
List of players
Goal Keepers
Teklemariam Shanko (Sidama Coffee), Fasil Gebremichael (Bahir Dar) and Frew Getahun (Dire Dawa).
Defenders
Ramadan Youssef (Welkite), Desta Yohannes (Adama City), Asrat Tunjo (Ethiopian Coffee), Ahmed Rashid and Manaf Awel (Bahir Dar City), Yared Bayeh and Aschalew Tamene (Fasil) and Magnot Debebe (St. George).
Midfielders
Amanuel Yohannes (Ethiopian Coffee), Habtamu Tekeste and Surafeal Dagnachew (Fasil), Mesud Mohammed (Jimma Abba Jiffa) , Shimeles Bekele ( El Gouna), Haider Sherefa (St. George), Frew Solomon (Sidama Coffee) and Bezabe Meleyo ( Fasil).
Strikers
Abubakr Nasir (Ethiopia Coffee), Abel Yalew and Emmanuel Gebremichael (St. George), Mesfin Tafesse (Hawassa), Dawa Hutesa (Adama) and Shemket Gugsa (Fasil).
