Senegal are clear favourites to beat Ethiopia in Baher Dar on Tuesday and claim their first victory in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with the match taking place at 13:00 GMT.
Nasser Eddy, a consultant for NCI Sport and presenter of the UEFA Champions League on Radio Nostalgie, expects Patrick Vieira’s side to win 2-0. Senegal’s victory is priced at 1.32, while that exact score is available at 5.5.
Ethiopia began Group L with a 1-0 defeat by Sudan on Friday. The result leaves the Walya with little room for error in a six-match qualifying campaign in which only the top two teams will reach PAMOJA 2027. Mozambique are also in the group.
Once a leading force in African football, Ethiopia won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1962, as well as reaching one final and three semi-finals during the late 1950s and 1960s. Their fortunes have since declined, with only two appearances at the finals in the 21st century, both ending in first-round elimination. Their most recent tournament appearance came in Cameroon in 2021.
Ethiopia have, however, avoided heavy defeats against stronger opponents in recent months. Although they have lost to Egypt, Burkina Faso and Sudan, they have not been beaten by more than two goals in an official match for two years. Their home advantage could also be significant, with the high-altitude conditions bringing thinner air that the hosts are more accustomed to. About 60,000 supporters are expected at Baher Dar stadium.
Senegal were held to a surprising 1-1 draw by Mozambique in their opening fixture. Vieira, the 1998 World Cup winner, needs his new team to respond quickly to remain in contention and potentially move above Sudan if they drop points.
The Lions of Teranga are adapting to life without former key players Kalidou Koulibaly and Sadio Mane, who have retired from international football. Senegal, described as Africa’s runners-up pending a final Court of Arbitration for Sport decision in the coming days, also endured a frustrating World Cup, exiting in the last 16 after narrowly missing out on possible achievements against France, Norway and Belgium.
Despite that uncertainty, Senegal have scored in each of their past 12 official matches, with at least two goals in six of those games. They have also averaged 7.5 corners across their last four competitive fixtures.
Senegal lead the head-to-head record, winning three of four meetings. Ethiopia’s only victory came in 1963, while Senegal won the two most recent encounters in the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, 2-1 and 3-0. Their total record is 11 Senegal goals to Ethiopia’s four.
Nicolas Jackson, who scored Senegal’s goal in Mozambique, is priced at 2.3 to score at any time. The Aston Villa forward is expected to lead the attack again following Sadio Mane’s retirement. More than 6.5 Senegal corners is priced at 1.64.
The match is scheduled for Tuesday, 29 September 2026, at 13:00 GMT. Odds may change.