The first sporting event of the trip … and Catherine’s football debut!

I was excited to be in Addis Ababa on a weekend and so chuffed when I checked Ethiopian fixtures to discover there was an international game on – hosts Ethiopia vs. Rwanda in a 2018 African Nations Championship qualifier (CHAN 2018).

(The African Nations Championship is a biennial tournament and unlike the African Cup of Nations, the competing national teams must be composed of players playing in their domestic league).

I was taking no chances with tickets and after popping into the stadium on Friday to ask when tickets would be available, I was back at the stadium early on Sunday to buy our 100 Birr tickets.

We headed back later that afternoon and enjoyed a beer at one of the many bars inside the stadium. The game itself was a far better game than I was expecting with some very attacking and entertaining football.

Ethiopia led twice before a goalkeeping error in the 75th minute saw Rwanda equalise. Rwanda now had all the momentum and they scored the winner very soon thereafter.

Up until the 75th minute, there was an awesome atmosphere in and around the stadium. Sadly, once the third went in from the visitors, the ground started to empty quickly.

Catherine, however, admitted she enjoyed it more than she thought she would!