The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced new dates for the crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers between Guinea and Ethiopia, initially slated for October 11 and 14. The two sides will now clash on October 12 and 15 as part of the ongoing qualification campaign for AFCON 2025, to be held in Morocco.
Guinea and Ethiopia, both struggling in Group H, are set to meet twice in a matter of days. The first match will take place on Saturday, October 12, with Guinea hosting Ethiopia at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpé, Ivory Coast.
The fixture is scheduled to kick off at 16:00 GMT. The reverse fixture will follow just three days later, on Tuesday, October 15, with Ethiopia playing as the home team at the same venue, with the match beginning at 19:00 GMT.
The revised schedule provides both teams with an opportunity to turn their fortunes around after a difficult start to the qualification campaign.
Group H has so far been dominated by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, leaving Guinea and Ethiopia at the bottom of the standings. DR Congo currently leads the group with six points, followed by Tanzania on four points.
In contrast, Ethiopia has secured just one point, drawing 0-0 with Tanzania, while Guinea is yet to claim any points, having lost 2-1 to Tanzania and 1-0 to DR Congo.
Both teams are now under pressure to improve their standing in the group. With DR Congo and Tanzania holding the upper hand, Guinea and Ethiopia find themselves in a must-win situation.
Guinea’s poor form has seen them lose their opening two matches, while Ethiopia’s only positive result came from their goalless draw against Tanzania.
These upcoming matches provide a crucial opportunity for either team to salvage their campaign and keep their qualification hopes alive.
The Syli National of Guinea will be hoping to make the most of home advantage in the first leg, while Ethiopia will be eager to claim a vital win when they play as the designated home side in the second encounter.
Both matches will take place on neutral ground in Ivory Coast, as part of CAF’s arrangements for the qualifiers.
As the fixtures approach, the teams will undoubtedly be focused on breaking their poor runs of form and staking a claim for a spot in the 2025 AFCON tournament. With Group H still open, these two clashes could prove decisive for their futures in the competition.
