Bahir Dar Stadium, Festive Atmosphere Ahead of Senegal Match

Ethiopian flags were hoisted throughout Bahir Dar city, and citizens wearing Ethiopian national team jerseys filled the streets, creating a festive atmosphere.

Habtamu Kassaye said that Bahir Dar had a festival-like atmosphere since the night before, and the entire city always shines beautifully before big matches of the Ethiopian national team.

From early morning, many fans flocked to get tickets, creating a huge crowd around the stadium. However, complaints erupted in various places as the quantity of prepared tickets could not keep up with demand.

The Senegalese side vowed to focus solely on this victory rather than past records. Coach Patrick Vieira highly praised Ethiopia's organization, and Coach Yohannes Sahle announced that he would reorganize the team after learning from mistakes in the Sudan match.

The Senegalese national team is determined to win this match, unburdened by past games.

The past experience of defeating Ivory Coast gives the players confidence in victory. Coach Yohannes Sahle acknowledged the objective disadvantage in strength but emphasized that fighting spirit and mental toughness determine victory on the field.

He boosted the players' morale by saying it's enough to remember when they beat Ivory Coast in the past.

Through continuous investment from the government and local authorities, and consulting from the Ethiopian Football Federation, Bahir Dar Stadium has been transformed. All past structural flaws were corrected to meet international standards.

Habtamu stated that it is a clear fact that the structural mistakes of the past were corrected, and the work was carried out according to CAF and FIFA standards.

Despite the absence of some key players, Senegal's squad includes many players from European leagues, while Ethiopia showed a strong will to win, aiming to continue its undefeated home record.

The Ethiopian Football Federation plans to expand this model to other stadiums. The Senegalese national team, who visited the stadium, personally checked the pitch condition and expressed surprise at the high standard of facilities. Habtamu conveyed that the Senegalese team was amazed that an international-standard stadium was available in Bahir Dar, a provincial city.

This signifies more than just the players' efforts. Habtamu analyzed that a strong will to win is leading to overall team trust.

Such a bonus is unusually high at the Africa Cup of Nations qualification stage and is expected to be a strong motivator to strengthen the bond between the players and coaching staff.