9 Foreign-based players declare willingness to represent Ethiopia
EthioSports Staff
Nine foreign-based professional footballers have officially made themselves available for selection by the Ethiopian national team, according to David Beshah, the head of the Ethiopian Football Federation’s scouting department.
David Beshah, a former player himself and the first European born player to be capped by Ethiopia, has for years advocated for the integration of footballers of Ethiopian descent into the national team. Much of the African continent’s leading sides have benefited greatly from the riches provided by European born recruits.
“With the upcoming AFCON tournament in Cameroon just a few weeks away, my primary focus was on players who are readily available for the Ethiopian national team, which will compete with host Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde in Group A. Once the tournament is over, my focus will be on recruiting from a pool of young players of Ethiopian heritage who play abroad.”
So, who are the players? Former Barcelona academy product Anwar Mediero Rodriguez, 19, who is currently on the books of Serie A side Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio’s youth team, headlines the list.
Five of the nine recruits, including Anwar Mediero, are aged 22 and under. Much of the scouting effort was centered on Israel, where the country’s sizeable Ethiopian community has produced a pool of players, many who have went on to play in the country’s topflight league and for its national team.
Among them, 30-year-old former Israeli youth international Sintayehu Sallalich, who boasts UEFA Champions League and Europa League experience from stints with Israeli and Slovenian clubs. Sintayehu met in person with Ethiopian Football Federation President Esayas Jira last June when Ethiopia’s U-17 national team travelled to play friendly matches against their Israeli counterparts. He recently signed for Gençlerbirliği S.K. in the Turkish second tier.
A couple of German based players in 19-year-old fullback Melesse Frauendorf of the TSG Hoffenheim reserves and 27-year-old Kenny Prince Redondo of German 3rd division side FC Kaiserslautern are among those who gave David Beshah their words
The quartet of players plying their trade in Israel’s Ligat Ha`Al first division include David Dego, 20, midfielder at Beitar Jerusalem; Awka Ashta 22, midfielder at Hapoel Jerusalem and two wingers under contract at FC Ashdod, 28 year old Ya’akov Berihon, and 25 year old former Israeli youth international Lior Inbrum.
19 year old Daniel Negussie Skretteberg is the sole goalkeeper poached thus far, and is part of the squad at Norwegian side Strømsgodset.
The national team, which is set to take part in the upcoming 2022 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon in just a few weeks, could bolster the ranks of its current setup, which features no Europe based players and just one player plying his trade outside of Ethiopia, Egypt based Shimelis Bekele.
“I’ve submitted the list to national team coach Wubetu Abate,” David Beshah told EthioSports. “There are several other players I’m expecting to hear back from, but the coach has the current list as well as video footages of them in action.” Having said this, coach Wubetu Abate is yet to comment on the prospects of the recruits joining his side.
Even if selected, some of the players will need to have their paperwork submitted to FIFA to confirm their switch of allegiance before they are cleared to play.
FIFA regulations allow players to represent the country of birth of their parents and grandparents, provided they aren’t cap tied to another national team. Defending African champions Algeria won the 2019 AFCON with a squad featuring 14 French born players, among them team captain and Manchester City star Riyadh Mahrez.
Although Ethiopia recently crashed out of World Cup qualifying, finishing third in CAF Group G which featured Ghana, South Africa and Ziimbabwe, the team managed to seal qualification for Africa’s showpiece event (AFCON Tournament) which will only be their second major tournament appearance in forty years.
For reasons unbeknownst to those outside of the EFF, Ethiopia, which has been unsuccessful on the international stage, has largely ignored the field of talent at its disposal across Europe. However, there appeared to be a policy shift last September, when David Beshah’s proposals were officially endorsed by the federation, which tasked him with leading the effort to mine for foreign based talents.
