Ethiopia in desperate search for Coach ahead of Leone Stars clash

The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has shortlisted five local coaches for the vacant national team job.

The Walia Ibex will host Sierra Leone in one of Group F’s second qualifying matches in September.

The Waliyas, who lost their opening tie 5-0 to Ghana in the race to Cameroon next year have been without a head coach following Ashenafi Bekele’s resigned from his post in December 2017.

The Federation has intensified its effort to bring in a new coach ahead of the 2019 Total African Cup of Nations qualifying home tie against Sierra Leone in Addis Ababa in September.

The EFF has shortlisted Gebremedhin Haile, Webetu Abate, Tsegaye Kidanemariam, Seyoum Kebede and Yemen national team coach Abraham Mebratu, who is also Ethiopian.

The Technical Committee of EFF is expected to screen the listed coaches and present its final decision to the Executive Committee in the coming days.

Gebremedhin has previously worked as the coach of the Ethiopian national side after the dismissal of Yohannis Sahle in 2016. He led the team to victory in two 2017 AfCON qualifying encounters against Lesotho and Seychelles.
Veteran coach Seyoum and Abraham are not new faces in coaching the national side.

Seyoum was at the helm some 15 years ago. Abraham, who has led Yemen to a major tournament final in March, has said to be leaving his job as head coach of Yemen if he can get the Ethiopia job. Abraham has never kept his desire to coach Ethiopia a secret.

The federation has seemingly opted for local coaches for the third time running. Former Saint George boss Dutchman Mart Nooji has submitted his CV but could not make it to the final cut.