Ethiopia Football Federation (EFF) has accepted CAF request to replace Mali in this year’s African U-17 Championship set to take place in Gabon next month.

Mali advanced after a 4-1 aggregate triumph over Ethiopia in the third round of the qualifiers but have to forfeit their slot following a FIFA ban on the country for government interference.

Mali got themselves in Fifa bad books after Mali Sports Minister Housseïni Amion Guindo dissolved the executive committee of FEMAFOOT and went on and appointed a provisional committee mandated to run FEMAFOOT and set up elections within 12 months.

However,Fifa said the ban would be lifted only when the FEMAFOOT board and president Boubacar Baba Diarra are reinstated,something the goverment has not done prompting CAF to react by including the young Walias.

Last time Ethiopia participated in the junior championship was 1997 in Botswana.They had a good outing where they lost 1-0 to Egypt in the semi-finals.

Ethiopia will now join Tanzania, Angola and Niger in Group B in the 8 teams competition.