by FSL News | 3 Aug, 2018 | African News
Ethiopia new boss Abraham Mebratu has named a 34-man provisional squad in preparation for the African Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone in Hawassa September 9.
The 48-year-old will face a tough test in his first task against a resilient Sierra Leone in the race to Cameroon 2019.
The most notable inclusions are Petrojet midfielder Shemeles Bekele, Smouha SC attacker Omod Okuri, Gatoch Panom of El Gouna all three based in Egypt and forward Getaneh Kebede, who is presently unattached also makes the squad.
Mebratu, who qualified Yemen senior team for the first time to the Asian Cup named a Walias squad mainly dominated of local stars with only four trading their football outside Ethiopia.
The Waliyas will enter residential camp in Hawassa comes August 7.
He is expected to trim the squad to 23 players before his charges take on the Western African nation.
Provisional Squad:
Goalkeepers: Abel Mamo (Mekelakeya), Samson Asefa (Dire Dawa Ketema), Tekelemariam Shanko (Hawassa Ketema), Tsion Merede (ArbaMinch Ketema)
Defenders: Henok Adugna (St George), Abdulkerim Mohammed, Salahdin Bargicho, Asechalew Tamene (Kidus Giorgis), Mujib Kassim, Solomon Habte, Amsalu Tilahun (Fasil Kenema), Addis Tesfaye (Mekelakeya), Awot GebreMikael (Ethio-Electric), Temesgen Castro, Ahmed Reshid (Ethiopia Bunna), Anteneh Tesfaye (Dire Dawa Ketema)
Midfielders: Gatoch Panom (El Gouna/Egypt), Mulualem Mesfin, Natnael Zeleke (both from Kidus Giorgis), Amanuel Yohannes (Ethiopia Bunna), Bezabeh Meleyo (Fasil Kenema), Shemeles Bekele (Petrojet/Egypt), Canaan Markneh (Adama Ketema), Tafese Solomon (Hawassa Ketema), Biniyam Belay (KF Skenderbeu Korce/Albania)
Attackers: Getaneh Kebede (Unattached), Abel Yalew, Behailu Asefa(both from Kidus Giorgis), Addis Gidey (Sidama Bunna), Omod Okuri (Smouha SC/Egypt), Dawa Hotessa (Adama Ketema), Abubakher Nessero (Ethiopia Bunna), Amanuel GebreMikael (Mekele Ketema), Israel Eshetu (Hawassa Ketema).
Cameroon 2019 Group F standings
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by FSL News | 3 Aug, 2018 | African News
The National U17 team will come up against Senegal and Guinea Bissau in the Total Africa Cup of Nations zonal qualifying tournament in Dakar, Senegal.
The West African Football Union (WAFU) ‘A’ on Monday, 30 July 2018, held the draw for the upcoming qualifiers.
The colourful ceremony which was broadcasted on Senegalese national broadcaster RTS was graced by the President of WAFU A, Augustine Senghor and officials of the participating teams.
Host Senegal was drawn with neighbours Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone in Group A.
Defending African champions Mali are in Group B which looks like a group of death with Liberia and Gambia.
Group C teams are Guinea, Mauritania and Cape Verde.
The tournament will be played from the 9-18 September 2018 in Dakar and Rufisque, with the winner of each group and best runner-up qualifying for the last four.
The finalists will represent the zone at next year’s Total U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Tanzania.
Matches will be hosted at the Alassane Djigo Stadium in Pikine (Dakar) and the newly built Stade Ngalandou Diouf in Rufisque.
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by FSL News | 28 Jul, 2018 | African News
The Hawassa City International Stadium will host Ethiopia Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone in September.
Both nations will face each other for the first time in one of Group F’s second qualifying matches in the race to Cameroon 2019.
The Ethiopian Football Federation has slated the contest for September 9th 13:00 GMT (16:00 EAT) pm is the kick off time.
The Stadium with a 55,000 capacity is about 275 km south of the capital, Addis-Ababa.
The Walias defeat Seychelles 2-1 at the same venue in their final Afcon qualifier in 2016.
The Stadium is one of the new built that will partly use for the sixth edition of the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2020.
The stadium hosted eight group A and B matches of the 2015 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.
Meanwhile, the Walias lost their opening Group F qualifier 5-0 in Ghana, while Sierra Leone defeated Kenya 2-1 in June 2017.
Cameroon 2019 Group F standings
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by FSL News | 26 Jul, 2018 | African News
The Egypt Football Association (EFA) has named a shortlist of four coaches to replace Argentine Hector Cuper, BBC Sports reported.
Cuper’s contract was not renewed after the Pharaoh’s failed to get past the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.
The four names on the list are Colombian Jorge Luis Pinto, Spaniard Quique Sanchez Flores, Mexican Javier Aguirre and Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic.
The EFA hope to have a new coach in place for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger on 8 September.
EFA board members Magdi Abdul Ghani, Essam Abdel Fattah and Hazem Emam have been tasked with making a final proposal.
Pinto, 65, has coached his native Colombia as well as leading Costa Rica to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
His side progressed from the group stage at the expense of England and Italy.
His most recent job was with Honduras.
Flores has no experience coaching the national team but has worked in the English Premier League with Watford as well as in his native Spain at Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Getafe and Espanyol.
The 53-year-old has also had stints with clubs in the United Arab Emirates.
Aguirre, 59, is a former Mexico international who has coached clubs in the United Arab Emirates and Spain.
At an international level, he has had stints with Mexico and Japan.
Halilhodzic is the only man on the list with experience in Africa having coached Algeria and Ivory Coast as well as Moroccan club Raja Casablanca.
The 66-year-old replaced Aguirre as Japan coach and helped them qualify for the 2018 World Cup but was sacked just three months before the tournament in Russia.
By Tarek Talaat BBC Sport, Egypt
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by FSL News | 20 Jul, 2018 | African News
Ethiopian Football Federation has appointed Abraham Mebratu as the new coach of the National Team, Walia Ibex, Soccer Ethiopia reported.
The 48-year-old first task will be against Sierra Leone in Ethiopia in the race to Cameroon 2019.
They lost their opening Group F qualifier 5-0 in Ghana their next game is hosting Sierra Leone in September.
The new coach, who is also an Ethiopian has experience in national coaching. In March 2018 Mebratu’s Yemen senior team qualified for the Asian Cup for the first time.
The last Ethiopian National Team coach, Ashenafi Bekele, resigned in December 2017 and the team was without a coach since then.
Cameroon 2019 Group F standings
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by FSL News | 10 Jul, 2018 | African News
The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has shortlisted five local coaches for the vacant national team job.
The Walia Ibex will host Sierra Leone in one of Group F’s second qualifying matches in September.
The Waliyas, who lost their opening tie 5-0 to Ghana in the race to Cameroon next year have been without a head coach following Ashenafi Bekele’s resigned from his post in December 2017.
The Federation has intensified its effort to bring in a new coach ahead of the 2019 Total African Cup of Nations qualifying home tie against Sierra Leone in Addis Ababa in September.
The EFF has shortlisted Gebremedhin Haile, Webetu Abate, Tsegaye Kidanemariam, Seyoum Kebede and Yemen national team coach Abraham Mebratu, who is also Ethiopian.
The Technical Committee of EFF is expected to screen the listed coaches and present its final decision to the Executive Committee in the coming days.
Gebremedhin has previously worked as the coach of the Ethiopian national side after the dismissal of Yohannis Sahle in 2016. He led the team to victory in two 2017 AfCON qualifying encounters against Lesotho and Seychelles.
Veteran coach Seyoum and Abraham are not new faces in coaching the national side.
Seyoum was at the helm some 15 years ago. Abraham, who has led Yemen to a major tournament final in March, has said to be leaving his job as head coach of Yemen if he can get the Ethiopia job. Abraham has never kept his desire to coach Ethiopia a secret.
The federation has seemingly opted for local coaches for the third time running. Former Saint George boss Dutchman Mart Nooji has submitted his CV but could not make it to the final cut.
Cameroon 2019 Group F standings
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