Ethiopia v Cape Verde – For a bright start
Ethiopia faces Cape Verde on Sunday 9 January 2022 for the account of Group A Match Day 1 of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021.
The game that will be staged at Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, right following the opening match between hosts Cameroon and Burkina Faso, will see both sides seeking a bright start for their AFCON campaign.
Match Card
Date: 9 January 2022
Time: 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT)
Venue: Olembe Stadium, Yaoundé
Group: A
Match: Ethiopia v Cape Verde
Ethiopia – Walias back in business
Ethiopia return to the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for the 11th time, and first since 2013. The Walias, Champions in 1962 hope to start on a high note against Cape Verde.
Decimated by Egypt based midfielder Shimeles Bekele’s injury, Ethiopia still aim at doing their best to show a good image on the football in the country that was one of the founding teams of AFCON since its very first edition.
Photo @footballethiop
What they said
Wubetu Abate (Coach, Ethiopia)
“We prepared for this tournament in the best conditions. It will us returning to this great African football show after a long absence. We respect our opponents, but we are confident in our talent. We are going to play our game in this competition. Our goal is not to just participate, but to show the world that Ethiopia has young talented players who can surprise.”
Getaneh Kebede (Forward, Ethiopia)
“This is my second TotalEnergies AFCON after 2013, and we hope to have a good tournament. We have already played good matches in various competitions, and it is now up to us to play our best football.”
Cape Verde – Blue Sharks with high hopes
Cape Verde will play their third TotalEnergies AFCON finals. After a quarter-final appearance in their debut in 2013, The Blue Sharks want to achieve better this time in Cameroon.
A campaign that starts well would be a morale boast ahead of facing Burkina Faso and the hosts in the upcoming games.
Photo @fcfcomunica
What they said
Humberto Bettencourt (Assistant coach, Cape Verde)
“We will do everything to look good and win this game. It is true that we are in the same group with hosts Cameroon, one of the great teams on the continent, but we are concentrating on our next opponent before thinking about the other matches.”
Dos Santos Tavares “Stopira” (Defender, Cape Verde)
“We are here in Cameroon to play good football, to have fun and to do our best to go as far as possible in the competition. We respect all our opponents the same way. We take our games one by one to achieve our goals.”