Ethiopia Lose 1-0 to Sudan and Now Host Senegal in Bahir Dar on Tuesday

Ethiopia lost their opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match 1-0 to Sudan, beaten by a Mohamed Mamoun free kick in the closing minutes.

The result leaves Sudan top of the group on three points, with Mozambique next on their schedule. Senegal and Mozambique drew 1-1 in the group's other fixture.

Senegal come to Bahir Dar

Ethiopia's second group game is against Senegal on Tuesday at Bahir Dar Stadium, a home fixture against the strongest side in the group and the first real test of whether the venue can carry a match of that size.

Hosting rights are not a small matter for Ethiopian football or for Bahir Dar. Competitive home qualifiers have not been a given for Ethiopia in recent years, and a full house against Senegal is the kind of fixture that justifies the money spent on a stadium. A defeat in the opener makes Tuesday close to decisive: one point from two games would put qualification largely out of Ethiopia's hands before October.

Open

Tikvah did not report the venue of the Sudan match, the attendance, or whether Ethiopia had any significant absentees. Nor has the federation said anything publicly about ticketing or capacity for Tuesday.

Sources: Tikvah Ethiopia, 25 September 2026