Coach Abate names Ethiopia’s squad for TotalEnergies AFCON 2021
Ethiopia’s head coach Wubetu Abate has named a 25-man squad ahead of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021.
“We have picked a strong team that should be able to perform well at the tournament in Cameroon,” said Abate.
Ethiopia are placed in Group A alongside Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and hosts Cameroon.
The squad is dominated by locally based players featuring in the Ethiopian Premier League with only two abroad based players in Shemeles Bekele (El Gouna, Egypt) and Mujib Kassim (JS Kabilye, Algeria).
Bekele together with Getaneh Kebede and goalkeeper Jemal Tasew are the only three players who were part of Ethiopia’s team in their last appearance at the 2013 AFCON held in South Africa.
The Walia Ibex will open their campaign against Cape Verde on January 9th at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, before facing the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the same Stadium on January 13th in their second group match. They will play their last Group match against Burkina Faso on January 17th.
The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) announced that the team will travel to pitch camp in Yaounde on December 27th.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Tekelemariam Shanko (Sidama Coffee), Fasil Gebre Michael (Bahir Dar City), Jemal Tasew (Adama City)
Defenders: Ramadan Yesuf (Wolkite City), Desta Yohannes (Adama City), Asrat Tunjo (Ethiopian Coffee), Suleman Hamid (Saint George), Yared Bayeh (Fasil Kenema), Aschalew Tamene (Fasil Kenema), Megnot Debebe (Saint George), Menaf Awol (Bahir Dar City)
Midfielders: Amanuel Yohannes (Ethiopian Coffee), Menaf Fitsum Alemu (Bahir Dar City), Gatouch Panom (Saint George), Mesoud Mohammed (Jima Aba Jifar), Shemeles Bekele (El Gouna, Egypt) , Firew Solomon (Sidama Coffee), Bezabeh Meleyo (Fasil Kenema )
Forwards: Abubeker Nasser (Ethiopian Coffee), Getaneh Kebede ( Wolkite City), Amanuel Gebre Michael (Saint George), Mesfin Tafesse (Hawasa City), Dawa Hotessa (Adama City), Shemeket Gugesa (Fasil Kenema), Mujib Kassim ( JS Kabilye, Algeria)