Prior to the 2017 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Kenya the Ethiopian national team has started residential training at Addis Ababa Stadium on Wednesday, November 22, morning.
Coach Ashenafi Bekele on Monday summoned a 27 man squad two days ago and has stared preps earlier today.
Five players were missing from the first training session. Woldia duo Tesfaye Alebachew and Biruk Kalbore, Jimma Aba Jifar duo Henok Adugna and Yonas Geremew and Mekele Ketema attacker Amanuel GebreMikael were all absent during the session. Not only the five players but assistant trainer Belete GebreKidan failed to attend the session through unknown reasons.
Waliyas trainer Ashenafi told reporters the players are expected to join the team latest by Thursday. “Players from three clubs failed to show up. The players are willing to join national team camp however the clubs didn’t let them go. We had a discussion with club managers and reached an agreement. We expect the players to join today,” Ashenafi remarked.
The training session lasted for an hour as Ethiopia Bunna duo Mesude Mohammed and Samson Tilahun likewise Sidama Bunna players Addis Gidey and Abebe Tilahun were seen doing a light training. The players will be available to serve their clubs when Ethiopia Bunna hosts Sidama Bunna on rescheduled week 1 encounter in Addis Ababa on Thursday.
Ashenafi further added his charges are not traveling to Kenya to simply participate rather to win the oldest football tournament in Africa. “We will go there not to compete rather to triumph the tourney. I think the players will make history.” Ethiopia last crowned champions of CECAFA Cup in 2005 after beating hosts Rwanda 1-0 courtesy goal from Andualem Nigusse.
Although the coach claimed his side will not be in Kenya to just participate, recent performance of the team is very far from being good. Since the coach assumed the helm Ethiopia beat only minnows Djibouti as Waliyas are winless in their last 7 games. When Ashenafi was unveiled as coach in May he audaciously stated he would take Ethiopia to the quarter finals of the 2019 African Cup of Nations.
Ethiopia will kick start their CECAFA Cup campaign on December 4 against Burundi before taking on South Sudan on four days later.
