Ethiopia Name Squad for 2023 AFCON Qualifiers

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian national team Coach Wubetu Abate has announced his provisional squad for the opening two African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi and Egypt.

All except midfielder Shimelis Bekele who plays for Egypt’s El Gouna FC are selected from the Ethiopian Premier League, shows the squad list published by the national Football Federation today.

Starting from early next week, the team will gather in Addis Ababa and begin their preparation for the first two Group D Afcon qualifiers.

Ethiopia is drawn in Group D alongside Egypt, Malawi, and Guinea to qualify for the tournament to be played in Cote d’Ivoire in May and June, 2023.

The Walias will play their first match away against Malawi in Lilongwe’s Bingu Stadium on June 2.

Four days later, they will host the Egyptian side in the same venue in Malawi’s capital on June 6.

The game against Egypt was scheduled to be played in Lilongwe after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned Bahir Dar stadium, which it said was unfit to host international matches.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Fasil Gebremichael (Bahir Dar City), Bereket Amare (Ethiopian Coffee), Dagim Ketema (Hawassa City), Seid Habtamu (Wolkite Kenema)

Defenders: Asrat Tunjo (Ethiopian Coffee), Remedan Yusuf (Wolkite Kenema), Henok Adugna (St George), Suleiman Hamid (St George), Birhanu Bekele (Hadiya Hosanna), Mignot Debebe (St George), Yared Baye (Fasil Kenema), Gite Gatuko (Sidama Coffee), Million Selemon (Adama City)

Midfielders: Amanuel Yohannes (Ethiopian Coffee), Gatoch Panom (St. George), Surafel Dagnachew (Fasil Kenema), Bezabih Meleyo (Fasil Kenema), Mesud Mohammed (Jimma Aba’Jiffar), Biniyam Belay (Defence), Wondimagegn Hailu (Hawassa City), Shimelis Bekele ( El Gouna FC/Egypt)

Forwards: Amunel Gebremichael (St. George), Cherinet Gugsa (St George), Dawa Hotessa (Adama City), Bereket Desta (Fasil Kenema), Abubeker Nasit (Ethiopian Coffee), Yigezu Bogale (Sidama Coffee), Habtamu Tadesse (Hadiya Hosanna)