Players in the national team hope taking part in the tournament will buoy the hopes for a peaceful resolution of the Tigray conflict and also boost their chances of getting wider recognition.
European clubs and media that wanted the tournament postponed amid a rise in Covid cases were serving their own selfish interests and repeating the old narrative of ‘darkest Africa’.
The 2021 tournament dates have changed twice, first because of fears that torrential seasonal rains could affect the tight schedule, and then because of the pandemic.