Ethiopia will face Tanzania in Dar es Salaam as they hope to kick their AFCON qualifier with a win. The Walias have drawn their last two games in the World Cup Qualifiers against Guinea Bissau and Djibouti which meant that they sit second from bottom with only 3 points. Their last win came against Lesotho in a friendly at Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia will be without Mamelodi Sundowns striker Abubeker Nassir who has withdrawn from the side following the injury. In a press conference before the game national team coach Gebremedin Haile stated that Abubeker presented a medical report and that they believe he suffered an injury. Abel Yalew who plays for Egyptian side ZED FC will also be out of the contest.
Asked about the team’s lack of goals in the past competitive games Gebremedin stated that it was a result of not having a true number nine. The coach underlined the shortage of strikers all across the globe and this problem will persist unless they have a proper player in that position.
Perhaps the most bizarre part of the press conference was when the coach stated that fitness coaches and a video analyst is not a must for the national team. “ Just because there were people in that position before doesn’t mean we will include them now. Some were working for clubs and their exclusion didn’t create a big gap. We will reassess the need in the future, “ he said.
Ethiopia’s opponents Tanzania will not be an easy feat. They qualified for the last AFCON, even though they didn’t manage to progress from the group. Tanzania also managed to collect 6 points from their first three games in their Word Cup qualifiers group.
The game will be held today at 7 PM at Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium. The match will be broadcast live in Ethiopia on ETV Entertainment channel.
