AFCON (Q): Sahle confident as Ethiopia prepare for Sao Tome clash

Ethiopia coach Yohannes Sahle stated that his team is ready to face Sao Tome and Principe in the first leg of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) preliminary round qualifying fixture in El Jadida, Morocco. The former Ethiopian international is returning to the helm after 11 years.

Sahle told local reporters that his players have shown strong determination during their residential camp in the capital, Addis Ababa. “We have seen that our players are ready to give 100%. They demonstrated this during our training sessions. We are working as a unit,” said the head coach.

Sahle called up a predominantly locally-based squad, with the exception of midfielder Gatoch Panom and striker Kenean Markneh. He said the nature of the knockout competition forced him to select experienced players:

“The game we will have against Sao Tome and Principe is a knockout match. This kind of game has its own character. It is different from a tournament. It is not a competition where we try to test new players, since it is a two-legged fixture. Based on this, we selected players who we believe can help us during the tie.”

 

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Sahle was the head coach when the Waliyas defeated Sao Tome and Principe 3–1 on aggregate in 2015, and he said a lot has changed since that victory:

“We have to look at where football is now compared to 11 years ago. Where were Morocco and Cape Verde 11 years ago? What we did then is now history. Our focus is on the current situation. We are left with only one player from that squad. We have changed 99% of the team, and they (Sao Tome) might have changed 100% of theirs.”

Ethiopia will face Sao Tome and Principe in the first leg without their captain, Panom. The Saudi Arabia-based midfielder did not travel to Morocco following the sudden passing of his father, the Ethiopian Football Federation confirmed.

The East African nation last qualified for the tournament in 2021 but failed to progress in subsequent qualifying campaigns.