CHAN Tournament: Ethiopia due in South Africa – Friday 10th

The Ethiopian football national team will arrive in South Africa on Friday 10th January for their participation in the third 2014 CHAN Africa Cup final set to start on Saturday 11th. In the preliminary stage the Ethiopian team will face Libya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana in Group C games to be played in Mangaung.

Ethiopia head coach Sewnet Bishaw left out Goalie Sisay Bancha from the squad for the 2014 CHAN Africa Cup final when he announced the full 23 players on Wednesday 8th January. Originally defender Abebaw Butako and Sisay Bancha were omitted from the squad due to disciplinary measure taken by the country’s football governing body, the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF). The two players who were involved in a fist fight after Ethiopia versus Nigeria world cup qualifier match last year. But after apologizing to the FA the later imposed 10, 000 birr (nearly 500 USD) money fine on goalie Sisay Bancha and 5,000 birr on defender Abebaw Butako. Following this the head coach recalled both the goalie Sisay Bancha and defender Abebaw Butako.

But when the list of the 23-member squad was announced the goalie was omitted. The coach Sewnet Bishaw said that he dropped six players from the originally selected 29. “Everyone has equal opportunity to represent their country in this tough continental competition which is organized for home based players. For us almost all our players are home based. We have two or three players who play outside of their country. Their absence makes little difference for the current team,” the coach said.

Saladin Seid, Shimeles Bekele and Addis Hintsa who played in the last year African Cup of Nations staged in South Africa, are excluded from this squad because they currently play outside of their country. “We have seen some of the performances of the players who took part in the recently concluded East and Central African championship held in Kenya. Others are selected by their performance in the league competition,” the coach added.

The coach said that he omitted goalie Sisay Bancha for not respecting the team’s internal disciplinary regulation. The CHAN African Cup will kick off on January 11, 2014. Ethiopia opens its CHAN account against Libya on the 13th of January at Mangaung’s Free State Stadium.

Meanwhile Uganda and Morocco became the latest teams to arrive in South African for Orange CHAN 2014 on Thursday 9th January. Uganda Cranes and Morocco’s Atlas Lions are both in Group B and will face Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe. Group B matches will take place at Cape Town’s Athlone Stadium.

Ethiopian squad

Goalkeepers: Jemal Tasew, Dereje Alemu and Tariku Getnet

Defenders: Alula Girma, Biadiglign Elias, Abebaw Butako, Degu Debebe, Salahdin Bergecho, Seyoum Tesfaye, Birhanu Bogale, Ayalew Haile and Tok James.

Midfielders: Adane Girma, Behailu Assefa, Minyahil Teshome, Mintesnot Abate,

Forwards: Tadele Mengesha, Asrat Megersa and Fasika Asfaw.

Meanwhile Uganda and Morocco became the latest teams to arrive in South African for Orange CHAN 2014 on Thursday 9th January. Uganda Cranes and Morocco’s Atlas Lions are both in Group B and will face Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe. Group B matches will take place at Cape Town’s Athlone Stadium.

Source: CAFOnline.com