It is the first time the Horn of Africa squad has qualified for the pan-African tournament in 31 years, and though the odds might be stacked against them, the Walias Antelopes - named after an endangered antelope endemic to Ethiopia's northern mountains - are confident they will defy expectations and proceed to the knock-out stage of the tournament.
"We are going to face a lot of challenges and we have been away from the competition for a long time," striker Adane Girma told AFP. "But we have good morale, a good mentality and we are very strong, so we can face any kind of challenge," he added, sweat glistening on his forehead after practice at the national stadium in Addis Ababa.
In a rare and unexpected feat, the Walias beat Sudan 2-0 last October in the Ethiopian capital, prompting thousands of jubilant fans to pour into the streets to celebrate. They are now preparing to face title holders Zambia on 21 January in South African city Nelspruit.
Though Zambia is a stronger team, Girma said his squad is focused on beating them in order to move on to matches against two-time champions Nigeria and Burkina Faso in Group C. "We are just thinking about finishing that first game on top and then later think about Nigeria or Burkina Faso," he said.
The mood is 100 per cent - they want to show their talent and sell their personality to the world.Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw on his side's mood going into the Africa Cup of Nations
Star striker Saladin Said added that he remains unfazed by the threat posed by stronger teams, stating: "We are not bothered by the names, our only focus is to win."
But coach Sewnet Bishaw said that despite the team's confidence the Walias still lack international experience and boast few professional players. "Our players are young and they are less experienced with international matches like (the Cup of Nations)," he said.
Said, who plays for Wadi Degla in Egypt, ranks as the team's only player plying his trade outside of Ethiopia. Bishaw believes his team's strengths, however, are in their passing and strong defence, which helped them draw a friendly against 2004 champions Tunisia in Qatar this month, and make them formidable competitors in South Africa.
The draw against Tunisia was a "huge boost", according to Girma. And he is not prepared to stop there: he has his sights set on the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. "We are leaders in the World Cup qualification group, and hopefully we are going to qualify for the World Cup," he said.
But if they do not come out on top, Bishaw said the tournament is an opportunity for Ethiopia - a country better known for churning out world-class long distance runners than footballers - to prove their clout on the football pitch. "The mood is 100 per cent - they want to show their talent and sell their personality to the world," he said.
Their participation alone in the competition is already a source of major national pride, a feeling bolstered, according Bishaw, by the fact that the entire operation is built up of Ethiopian natives. "We have tried many times to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, we have tried many different types of coaches, including professionals from abroad - but now we are all locals here, we made it, so it's a great thing for our nation," he said, breaking into a wide smile.
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