Ethiopia lost its third AFCON qualification group game to Guinea 2-0 at Morocco to put its hope of qualifying for the tournament that will take place in Ivory Coast in danger.
From the get go it was Guinea who managed to control the game and create the better chances. They threatened the Ethiopian goal repeatedly and could’ve had 4 or 5 goals in the first half alone.
Ethiopia’s disorganized defensive structure and the tendency to carelessly give away the ball in their own third added with the oppopnent’s relentless pressing meant that Guinea were able to muster high quality chances.
The efforts of Guinea were rewarded in the 39th minute as Francois Kamano’s right footed shot from the left side of the box found the back of the net after he was set up by Valencia man Ilaix Moriba.
The teams went into half time with Guinea 1-0 up and with 14 attempts on goal to Ethiopia’s 1 despite The Walias having most of the possession.
At half time Coach Webetu Abate made two substitutions as Oumed Oukri replaced Benyema Belay and Tafesse Solomon came on for Gatoch Panom.
Ethiopia improved in a few aspects in the second half especially in going forward and being more proactive. Ramadan Yesuf was particularly a constant threat on the left side.
Despite the positive improvements upfront the back line was still susceptible and in the 73rd minute Guinea got the goal that all but confirmed the victory. Following a fast break Morlaye Sylla released Mohammed Bayo whose right footed shot sealed the win.
After the game Webetu described the loss as one of those bad days and said his defense was disorganized apart from the keeper.
This looks like an oversimplification of a problem that has been evident in his side since he took over. His team always tends to have possession with little to no end product. There is still lack of creativity both centrally and out on the wings. And while notable absentees didn’t help there is still lack of a reliable goal scorer.
This is a team issue that needs to be addressed both on individual, club and national team level. The Guinea game was a reminder of how far behind our football lags and it was a painful watch for anyone who cares about Ethiopian football.
