By Admin,

Ethiopia’s Portuguese Coach Mariano Barreto is buoyant ahead of Afcon 2017 qualifiers that were conducted in Cairo.

The tactician who failed to lead Ethiopia to the 2015 Afcon in Equatorial Guinea however thinks that early preparations and a positive outlook would benefit the young squad of players in the qualifiers.

Speaking exclusively to supersport.com the soft spoken Barreto further alluded to the fact that being in the same group as Algeria for the second time was not a cause for worry.

“As you know we have now a new generation of players and of course a new team. These young boys have now 6/8 matches in their legs, and little more experience. I think we are so far better than when i arrived last year. So we have good chance to qualify for Afcon 2017.”

“It will not be an easy ride but I believe the players are hungry for success and with good preparations nothing is impossible,” Barreto told supersport.com.

“Having a top side like Algeria in out group is a motivation because last year we learnt from our mistakes and we know where we went wrong this is the time to make the amends and reach Gabon by working very hard collectively,” he added.

Ethiopia are in group J together with Algeria, Lesotho and Seychelles.

Ethiopia last qualified for Afcon in 2013 after a 31 year absence then with coach Sewnet Bishaw until Mariano Barreto took over in 2014.