Egypt, without injured captain Mohamed Salah and several other key players, was beaten 2-0 by Ethiopia on Thursday in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Salah n was not the best but still took part in the victory against Guinea. But Egypt, even deprived of several other executives, did not expect a defeat against a team ranked 140th in the world rankings.
Ethiopia scored twice in the first half, through Dawa Hotessa and captain Shemeles Bekele, on a pitch badly damaged by torrential rain before the game.
This Group D qualifying match for CAN 2023 took place on neutral ground, in Malawi, because Ethiopia does not have, like 16 other countries involved in these qualifications, a stadium with international standards. Egypt, finalist of the last CAN, has been led for only two matches by Ehab Galal, ex-coach of the Cairo Pyramids. He has just replaced the Portuguese Carlos Queiroz whose contract has not been extended.