Ethiopia’s Under-17 Team Beats Burundi 3-0 in Kigali, With Uganda Next for First Place

Ethiopia’s under-17 men’s team scored three times in the first half on Monday and beat Burundi 3-0 at Kigali Pelé Stadium in Rwanda. It was Ethiopia’s first game in the East and Central Africa qualifiers for the 2027 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The qualifiers are run by CECAFA, the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations. Nine teams are playing in three groups in Kigali, and Ethiopia is in Group B with Uganda and Burundi.

Three Goals Before Halftime

Zemichael Minyahel gave Ethiopia the lead in the ninth minute, according to CECAFA. Akrem Abduselam made it 2-0 in the 19th minute, and Abdisa Gutema scored the third goal one minute before the break. On its X account, CECAFA gave the players’ full names as Zemichael Minyahel Niguse, Akrem Abduselam Jemal and Abdisa Gutema Dachesa.

Kigali Pelé Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda, where Ethiopia beat Burundi on Monday, seen empty on October 1, 2024 (EmmysonB / Wikimedia Commons, CC0) [file photo]

There were no goals after halftime. Umuseke, a Rwandan news site, reported that Burundi played better in the second half and stopped Ethiopia from adding to its lead.

The result ended Burundi’s chances. Uganda beat Burundi 8-0 in the opening game on Saturday, and CECAFA said Burundi became the first team to leave the qualifiers. In that game, 16-year-old Sebastian Fisher entered as a substitute and scored three goals on his debut for Uganda. The Ugandan newspaper New Vision reported that he plays for the youth team of Partick Thistle, a club in Scotland.

Ethiopia and Uganda Meet on Wednesday

Ethiopia and Uganda now have three points each. Uganda is first in the group because it has the better goal difference, eight goals to Ethiopia’s three. The two teams play the last Group B game on Wednesday at the same stadium. New Vision listed the start time as 5 p.m. East Africa Time.

New Vision also reported that Uganda coach Laryea Kingston has warned his players to stay focused. “We must respect Ethiopia, remain organised and take our chances when they come, because our target is to progress to the semifinals,” Kingston said.

The winners of the three groups and the best second-place team will play in the semi-finals on Saturday, October 17, the newspaper reported. The final is on Monday, October 19. New Vision said three places at the 2027 finals are available, subject to the competition rules.

Ethiopia at the Under-17 AFCON in May

Ethiopia’s under-17 team has already played at an African tournament this year. In May, it played at the Under-17 AFCON in Morocco after qualifying for the first time in 22 years, Soccer Ethiopia reported. The tournament is run by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

In Morocco, Ethiopia beat Tunisia 1-0 with a goal in stoppage time and finished level on points with Egypt, CAF reported. Egypt went to the quarter-finals instead because of its better goal difference. Ethiopia then played Mozambique for a place at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar. The game ended 1-1, and Mozambique won the penalty shootout 5-4.

Wednesday’s game will decide first place in Group B. New Vision pointed to Uganda’s strong record in the region. It said Uganda won the regional under-17 title in 2018, 2020 and 2024 and qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2025 and 2026.