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| Ethiopia is returning to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in thirty years. (Getty Images) |
Johannesburg (TADIAS) – Preparations are underway for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, and Ethiopia’s national team (The Black Lions), that qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1982, is also gearing up for the continent’s most prestigious soccer competition, which kicks off on January 19th in Johannesburg.
By all accounts the past year has been very productive for Ethiopia. The website SouthAfrica.info noted, their games included a 1-1 draw against the host South Africa, which led to the dismissal of the country’s coach Pitso Mosimane after a string of unconvincing results.
The Black Lions also advanced past Benin and Sudan on “the away goals rule” after a draw with Benin followed by victory over Sudan, against whom they lost 5-3 in Khartoum and then beat 2-0 in Addis.
The team’s star players are striker Saladin Said, who plays abroad for Wadi Degla in the Egyptian Premier League, and Adane Girma of Ethiopia’s Saint George Club, who was voted the best player in the Ethiopian Premier League in 2011.
Speaking about Saladin his former coach Belgian Walter Meeuws is quoted as saying: “Said is a very skilful player, technically strong, good speed and a good positioning as striker. He reads very well the game and the last year he became stronger in both power and physical strength.”
But in order for Ethiopia to have a performance worth remembering in South Africa, the team must first survive its challengers in group “C” that include Zambia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
www.tadias.com
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