A provisional squad of 27 has been summoned by coach Ashenafi Bekele for the upcoming CECAFA Senior Challenge in Kenya.

A final team of 23 will make the trip to Nairobi after vetting for the regional tourney set to start from 3rd to 19th next month.

Ashanefi has stuck with familiar faces he has relied on in the recent assignments with no result to back it up.

Last week, the Walia Ibex went down 3-2 on aggregate to Rwanda in the 2018 Morocco CHAN playoff – compounding his woes.

Calls for his head have nonetheless fallen on deaf ears as Ethiopia FA has kept faith in him.

Ethiopia are in group B alongside defending champions Uganda, guests Zimbabwe, Burundi and South Sudan.

Their opener will be against Burundi on day two of the competition.

The Squad:

Goalkeepers

Tarike Getnet (Dedebit), Bereket Amare (Welwalo Adigrat University), Tekelemariam Shanko (Hawassa Ketema)

Defenders

Girma Bekele (Ethio-Electric), Amsalu Tilahun (Fasil Ketema), Abebaw Butako (Kidus Giorgis), Anagawe Badege (Dire Dawa Ketema), Temesgen Castro (ArbaMinch Ketema), Tewodros Bekele (Mekelakeya), Abebe Tilahun (Sidama Bunna), Henok Adugna (Jimma Aba Jifar)

Midfielders

Samson Tilahun, Mesude Mohammed (Both from Ethiopia Bunna), Tesfaye Alebachew, Biruk Kalbore (Both from Woldia SC), Knean Markneh (Adama Ketema), Endale Kebede (ArbaMinch Ketema), Behailu Teshager (Ethio-Electric), Yonas Geremew (Jimma Aba Jifar), Firew Solomon (Hawassa Ketema)

Strikers

Abdulrahaman Mubarak (Fasil Ketema), Abubakher Sanni (Kidus Giorgis), Addis Gidey (Sidama Bunna), Tsegaye Birhanu (Wolaitta Dicha), Amnauel GebreMikael (Mekele Ketema), Abel Yalew (Dedebit), Dawa Hotessa (Adama Ketema)