Walia Ibex out to stun confident Leopards

Ethiopia will face off with DR Congo in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualification Group H match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Monday.

Kick-off is at 9pm CAT.

CURRENT FORM

Walia Ibex managed to hold Tanzania to a 0-0 draw in their opening Group H match which was played at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Wednesday.

The draw extended Ethiopia's unbeaten run to four matches across all competitions having registered three successive draws and one victory which came against Lesotho.

Meanwhile, DR Congo emerged as 1-0 winners over Guinea in their first Group H encounter which was also staged at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Friday.

The win stretched the Leopards' unbeaten run to four matches across all competitions having recorded two successive wins and two consecutive draws including one against South Africa.

TEAM NEWS

Ethiopia have announced that Abinet Demissie missed Saturday's training session due to illness, while Wogene Gezahegn Teklen has resumed light training.

Congo, on the other hand, will be without Ngal'ayel Mukau who has had to leave the Leopards camp due to an injury.

WHAT WAS SAID?

Ethiopian Football Federation

"Ethiopian national team is involved in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for the match against Congo, they practiced at the KMC stadium [in Tanzania] today," a statement read on Saturday.

"In today's training, Abinet Demise didn't work because of illness. On the other hand, Gezahegn has returned to training and has been able to do a light training."

DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre

"We needed to have a bit of a link between the midfield and the attack. We played in 4-3-3 with a low point," Desabre said in the post-match conference.

"Considering the control we had during the match, the result is satisfactory. Although I think, the score could have been more in our favour. Overall we played well in this match."

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Ethiopia and Congo have met six times across all competitions and the Leopards have dominated this rivalry having won four matches compared to the Walia Ibex's one win, while one game ended in a draw.

Their last meeting ended in a 3-0 win in favour of Congo in the 2016 Chan Group B match played at the Stade Huye in Rwanda