Ethiopia’s national football team, the Walias on Wednesday thumped Madagascar 4-nil in their penultimate qualifier for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.
Thanks to this defeat, Madagascar dropped to third and must win their final group match against Niger next Tuesday.
By half time, the hosts had established an unassailable 3-0 lead with goals from Gebremichael Aregawi, Abubaker Nassir and skipper Getaneh Kebede.
Shemeles Kebele sealed the victory with a goal four minutes from time.
They broke the deadlock after 19 minutes when Gebremichael struck a low shot from inside the box after being picked out by Ramdan Yusef.
The striker took one touch to drift into his favorite right foot before striking low to beat the keeper.
Madagascar who were one of the revelations at the last Cup of Nations in Egypt went all out to get back into the game and almost made an immediate response when the returning Faneva Andriatsima made a run on the left only for his shot to hit the side netting.
Happy to play on the counterattack, Ethiopia put the game ot bed when Nassir scored the third after a sweet interchange of passes inside the box with Suraffel Mengitsu sent him clear to score through the keeper’s legs.
Bekele scored the fourth after Kebede was denied a brace by a brilliant save from the Malagasy keeper.
MG/as/APA