Ethiopia withdraw from CECAFA tournament - Photo Courtesy Ethiopia FA.
The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has notified CECAFA that it has withdrawn from the regional U-17 championship which will be hosted by Uganda this December.
EFF general secretary Bahiru Tialhun wrote to CECAFA that the Red Foxes are unable to compete in the qualifier. Ethiopia were drawn in Group A along hosts Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi.
Tilahun told CECAFA media that the federation is tight on budget. “We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause and extend our gratitude to CECAFA for your understanding and continued support of Ethiopian football,” noted Tilahun.
EFF has faced budget constraints in recent years. The senior national side has been playing away from home and in 2023/24 season the Federation incurred more than 230,000 USD in expense for the travel and accommodation cost of the Walias. This scenario forced the Federation to focus on the senior side and cut costs on the other national sides.
The Red Foxes don’t even have a coach and the local U17 league season is yet to get kickoff. The tournament is used as the a qualifier for the African U-17 Championship which will take place in Ivory Coast.
Ethiopia hosted the 2022 CECAFA U17 championship where Somalia crowned champions in Addis Ababa.
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