Walias of Ethiopia arrive in Kigali
Ethiopian national team (Walia Ibex) arrived in Kigali Friday afternoon ahead of the CHAN 2018 play-off qualifier second leg against Rwanda on Sunday at Kigali Stadium in Nyamirambo.
The 27-man delegation, led by head coach Ashenafi Bekele, is being accommodated at Galaxy Hotel in Remera, City of Kigali.
Bekele believes that his side, that lost 2-3 in the first leg in Addis Ababa last weekend, can turn things around and qualify for Africa’s second biggest football tournament that will be staged from January 12 through February 4 in Morocco.
“We had a bad game in the first leg but the second leg will be different, for sure. The goals we conceded left us demoralised and I went to apologise to the (Ethiopian) public,” Bekele said on arrival in Kigali.
He noted, “We are coming to look for a better result and it is possible. I take full responsibility for the loss but we are ready to turn things around. We don’t really know what will happen, we are prepared to give our best.”
Rwanda needs a goalless draw on Sunday to be able to qualify to next year’s finals tournament, which will be their third, following 2011 in Sudan and last year in Kigali.
The match will be handled by Somaliland referees, Mohamed Hagi, Hamza Hagi Abdi, Salah Omar Abukar and Bashir Olad Arab, while Burundian Aimable Habimana will be the match commissioner.
Read more at: The New Times
