The Walias’ new head coach announces 30-man provisional squad for WC matches

Addis Ababa, November 3, 2023 (FBC) – The new Ethiopia football team head coach Gebremedhn Haile announced the 30-man provisional squad ahead of the Walias’ FIFA World Cup CAF Zone qualifying matches against Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso.

Gebremedihn Haile was unveiled earlier today as the new head coach of Ethiopian national team on a one-year contract. The head coach is also continue his role as the head coach of Ethiopian Insurance Football Club until the end of the current Ethiopian Premier League season in June.

After taking over the role earlier today, Gebremedihn did not take too long to announce his provisional squad for the national team’s WC qualifiers matches on November 15 and 21.

The squad list shows that there are some notable absentees for undisclosed reasons. The head coach also added some new faces to the latest list.

The called-up players have been told to report for training at Adama Canopy Hotel on Saturday 4 November from 4:30 am.

The Ethiopian national team will face both Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso as a home team in Morocco due to lack of stadiums that fulfil FIFA and CAF requirements in Ethiopia.

The government has recently confirmed that works are being intensified to ready the Addis Ababa stadium and other venues in the country for the Walias’ upcoming home games. However, given the slow progress of the renovation of stadiums, the national team will be forced to play its home matches outside Ethiopian soil.

Ethiopia has been drawn in group A alongside Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Djibouti and Egypt in the FIFA World Cup CAF zone qualifiers.