AFCON 2021: Coach Abraham calls 24 players for Niger encounters

Surprisingly, Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) top scorer Mujib Kasim is not included in the list.

Addis Ababa – Ethiopian national football (Walias) coach Abraham Mebratu has called 24 players in preparation of the upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group K qualifiers with Niger.

Ethiopia will face Niger in Niamey on March 28, 2020 and will play the return leg match in Bahir Dar 3 days later on March 31, 2020.

Twenty three of these players are home based while the lone professional operating abroad is Shimeles Bekele, who plays for Misir Lel-Makkasa FC in Egypt.

Ethiopian football fans are shocked to learn that Mujib Kasim, who leads the EPL Top Goal scorers chart with 14 goals in 16 matches, is not included in the list while his team Fasil Kenema, who are on top of the Ethiopian Premier League, have just one player named – Surafel Dagnachew.

Ethiopian Coffee has the largest pool of players named with 6 followed by St George (4) and Sebeta Ketema (2).

Here is the list:
Goalkeepers (3)
Teklemariam Sanhko (Ethiopian Coffee), Yidnekatchew Kidane (Wolkite Ketema) and Seid Habtamu (Jimma Abba Jifar)

Defenders (7)
Fetudin Jemal (Ethiopian Coffee), Ahmed Reshid (Ethiopian Coffee), Aschalew Tamene (St George), Desta Demu (St George), Anteneh Tesfaye (Sebeta Ketema), Remedan Yesuf (Suhul Shire) and Yonathan Fesseha (Sidama Bunna)

Midfielders (8)
Tafesse Solomon (Ethiopian Coffee), Hayder Sherefa (St George), Tadele Mengesha (Sebeta Kenema), Girma Dissassa (Bahir Dar Kenema), Yehun Endeshaw (Hadiya Hossana), Kanaan Markneh (Adama Kenema), Surafel Dagnachew (Fasil Kenema) and Shimeles Bekele (Misir Lel-Makkasa FC)

Strikers (6)
Amanuel Gebre-Michael (Mekelle 70 Enderta), Mesfin Tafesse (Hawassa Kenema), Addis Gedey (Sidama Bunna), Abel Yalew (St George), Mikiyas Mekonnen (Ethiopian Coffee) and Abubeker Nasir (Ethiopian Coffee).