The Walias reached the group stage of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with real optimism after a convincing preliminary round. Two matches later, Ethiopia sit bottom of Group J without a point, despite losing both games by a single goal. Fixture lists and results for the group, published by regional outlets and on https://afropari.ng/line among other sports portals, show how small the margins were in both defeats. Those margins also explain why the race for the two qualifying places still looks open after only two rounds.
A strong start in the preliminary round
Ethiopia qualified for the group stage by overcoming São Tomé and Príncipe 4-0. Chernet Gugsa netted the sole goal of the second leg during the first half of the game at Dire Dawa Stadium on 31 March 2026.
The outcome increased the expectations of a challenging tournament in a group that consisted of Senegal, Sudan, and Mozambique. The games versus Senegal were predicted to be hard contests, but the other ones seemed easier.
A late blow in Juba
The Walias started off the game on Friday 25 September at Juba National Stadium where Sudan played the match. The half time ended with no goals, and the score remained equal until well into the second half.
As a draw was imminent and time running out, Mohamed Eisa scored from the spot in the 86th minute to hand Sudan a 1-0 victory.
Mbaye strikes early in Bahir Dar
Ethiopia met Senegal four days later, on 29 September, at the Bahir Dar National Stadium in Bahir Dar, which is the capital city of Amhara Region. The guests, who were coached by Patrick Vieira, drew 1-1 against Mozambique and desperately needed a victory.
Nicolas Jackson set up Ibrahim Mbaye in the 11th minute, and Mbaye scored the winning goal in the 17th international game, scoring for the fifth time in it.
The win was Vieira’s first since taking charge of Senegal.
Group J after two rounds
Mozambique enjoyed the best night of the second round, beating Sudan 4-1 to move level with Senegal on four points. Mozambique sit top on goal difference, +3 to Senegal’s +1, after the two sides drew 1-1 in their head-to-head meeting. The table now looks like this:
| Team | Played | Points |
| Mozambique | 2 | 4 |
| Senegal | 2 | 4 |
| Sudan | 2 | 3 |
| Ethiopia | 2 | 0 |
Two qualifying places are available for the finals, to be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Ethiopia are three points behind Sudan, with four matches still to play.
Senegal and Mozambique set the pace
The beginning of the tournament for Senegal was not a perfect one because Senegal drew with Mozambique 1-1. Nicolas Jackson scored the goal for Senegal in the 32nd minute while Geny Catamo managed to score the goal in first half added time.
However, Mozambique played the best game in the group so far when they defeated Sudan 4-1. This came after their draw against Senegal, making them very serious candidates for the two slots available in the competition.
Sudan, which defeated Ethiopia in Juba, have just one point less than the other teams.
What the Walias need to change
Both matches followed a similar pattern: a solid defensive effort but little threat in the final third. The Walias failed to score in either game, which left them depending entirely on clean sheets to earn points.
Three areas stand out as priorities for the coming qualifying window:
- creating more chances from wide areas and set pieces;
- avoiding costly fouls in the penalty area late in games, after the 86th-minute penalty in Juba;
- improving the first minutes of matches, after Senegal’s early strike.
The remaining fixtures are two matches against Mozambique and the return games against Sudan and Senegal. Home advantage in Bahir Dar or Addis Ababa could make a real difference against Sudan.
Four matches to change the story
Walias have already demonstrated their capability to play a strong defense against better sides, even some of the best sides in Africa. The key will be to translate those defensive efforts into scoring.
