Friday, April 10, 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...

Djibouti votes in high-stakes presidential election

Citizens of Djibouti headed to the polls on Friday...

Wegagen Bank partners with IFC on $10 million trade finance guarantee

Wegagen Bank has signed a strategic partnership with the...

Djibouti presidential campaign concludes peacefully ahead of Friday vote

This morning, the Campaign Director for the Union for...

Incumbent President Ismail Omar Guelleh concludes campaign with grand rally in Djibouti City

Incumbent President and presidential candidate Ismail Omar Guelleh held...

EDR deploys Gondola Wagons to ease fuel shortage-driven cargo backlog

The Ethio-Djibouti Railway (EDR), a bilateral venture owned by...

Djibouti’s largest port facility reports sufficient cargo handling capacity

Despite a growing number of cargo vessels being rerouted...

Birr devaluation pushes fertilizer, fuel costs higher as wheat output rises

Ethiopia’s sharp currency depreciation is driving up fertilizer and...

Guelleh Vows ‘Major Success’ as Tens of Thousands Rally for His Rule

President Ismail Omar Guelleh, candidate of the ruling People’s...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img