Yohannes Sahle has been selected to take over from Mariano Baretto as the coach of the Ethiopia national football team.

The local coach, who was previously part of the national team as a player, will take over with immediate effect, replacing Portuguese tactician Baretto, who did not continue with the side following his failure to qualify the East Africans for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition at the beginning of the year.

Ethiopia qualified for the 2013 AFCON, which Nigeria won, but they were not able to repeat that accomplishment ahead of this year’s tournament.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Sahle revealed his happiness at being given the chance to complete the progression from player to coach of the senior side.

“I played for Ethiopia from the youth team to the national team. Now I am very happy to be the coach of the team I played for,” Sahle said.

“I’m delighted and really grateful to be given this role. I will serve with dignity and my full potential.”

The 49-year-old coach played professional football in America during his peak, leaving in the US in 2010 to pursue the role of technical director within the Ethiopian FA set-up.

He will need to have his team focused and ready for the qualifying campaigns for the 2017 AFCON and the 2018 World Cup, with Nations Cup qualifying beginning in June.