Sunday, September 13, 2026

Ethiopia in a do-or-die showdown against Sierra Leone today

After prepping for 26 days and then playing an international friendly match with Burundi, which they tied 1-1, the national team coach Abraham Mebratu pruned down his list of players to 23. Today is the second round of the group stage showdown in the 2019 African Cup.
The three foreign based players: Shimeles Bekele (Petro Jet), Oumed Oukri (Samouha), Gatoch Panom (El-Gouna) and Binyam Belay (Albanian Secenderbu Korsi) are expected in the starting lineup.
Taking in to consideration the starters in the match against Burundi, Abraham in his debut international home fixture appeared to line up a 4-4-2 formation comprised of the three internationals. Samson Assefa (Diredawa) between the woodworks, the back four  were all stars from Saint George: Salhadin Bargecho and Aschalew Tamene  in central defense while the full backs Henok Adugna and Abdulkerim Mohammed the right and left full backs respectively.
The formation is likely to be four midfielders and a diamond. Gatoch Panom is in the defensive midfield, Shimeles Bekele in a free role, Mulualem Mesfin and Binyam Belay in the wings.
It appears they will share the huge burden of the do or die showdown.
The most important department the strike force is to bring together Ethiopian most expensive players (Saint George) Getaneh Kebede to pair with Oumed Oukri or his team mate at Dedebit Abel Yalew.
Whatever the formation or the poor preparation Abraham needs to mount a win by all means for a home defeat to Sierra Leone could mean the last hope to Waliya’s recovery from the shocking 5-0 away defeat to group favorites Ghana.
Though second in the group table with three points Sierra Leone lacks a league soccer that hampers their quest for a place in the cup final, all the squad members are foreign based players amongst them, Amaoudu Bakayako (Coventry City), Alhadgi essay (Bristol City), Osman Kakay (QPR) to mention a few. The group leader Ghana visits Nairobi to face third in the table for goal differences Kenya.

Hot this week

Production up, but the ‘cost’ variable weighs heavily

Production is up in 2021 for the Italian agricultural...

Luminos Fund’s catch-up education programs in Ethiopia recognized

The Luminos Fund has been named a top 10...

Well-planned cities essential for a resilient future in Africa concludes the World Urban Forum

The World Urban Forum (WUF) concluded today with a...

Private sector deemed key to unlocking AfCFTA potential

The private sector’s role is vital to fully unlock...

Safaricom surpasses 15 million subscribers as it marks five years

Safaricom is marking five years since it received a...

Africa’s economic momentum is building as savings and cross-border trade activity accelerate

Rising savings, increasing cross-border payment activity and growing participation...

Experts urge sovereign AI models tailored to African realities

Researchers and leaders across Africa have been urged to...

Addis Ababa deploys digital monitoring Apps to track urban air quality

The Addis Ababa Transport Bureau has announced the deployment...

BRICS at 20: Diverse Strengths, Shared Growth

By Liu Yuanhui, CGTN The Driver's Cabin What do 20 years...

Ethiopia Boosts Drone Production to Fight Rebels

Ethiopia has been manufacturing drones at two factories since...

Hijacking Pirates Exploit Regional Chaos to Return to Seas off Somalia

The scourge of Somali piracy targeting cargo ships and...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img