Ethiopia national football team facts for kids
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Nickname(s) | ዋልያዎቹ (The Walia Ibex) | |||
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Association | Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) | |||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | |||
Sub-confederation | CECAFA (East & Central Africa) | |||
Head coach | Mesay Teferi | |||
Captain | Gatoch Panom | |||
Most caps | Shimelis Bekele (81) | |||
Top scorer | Getaneh Kebede (33) | |||
Home stadium | Addis Ababa Stadium Bahir Dar Stadium Dire Dawa Stadium Addis Ababa National Stadium (under construction) |
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FIFA code | ETH | |||
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FIFA ranking | ||||
Current | 151 ![]() |
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Highest | 86 (September 2006) | |||
Lowest | 155 (December 2001) | |||
Elo ranking | ||||
Current | 145 ![]() |
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Highest | 40 (16 January 1968) | |||
Lowest | 146 (September 2019) | |||
First international | ||||
![]() ![]() (French Somaliland; 5 December 1947) |
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Biggest win | ||||
![]() ![]() (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 1 May 1954) |
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Biggest defeat | ||||
![]() ![]() (Irbid, Jordan; 18 August 1992) |
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Africa Cup of Nations | ||||
Appearances | 11 (first in 1957) | |||
Best result | Champions (1962) | |||
Jordan International Tournament | ||||
Appearances | 1 (first in 1992) | |||
Best result | Group stage (1992) |
The Ethiopia national football team, also known as Walia, plays for Ethiopia in men's international football. The team is controlled by the Ethiopian Football Federation. They have been playing in regional and international games since 1943. The team's nickname, Walia, comes from the Walia ibex, a special goat found only in Ethiopia.
The Walias play their home games at Addis Ababa Stadium in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Ethiopia was one of the first three teams to play in the very first Africa Cup of Nations in 1957. They even won the competition in 1962 when they hosted it. After a long break, the team qualified for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations under coach Sewnet Bishaw.
Contents
Team History
Early Football Days
Ethiopia has a long history in football. They were one of the first African countries to play international matches. Their first game was in 1947, where they beat French Somaliland 5–0. The Ethiopian Football Federation joined FIFA in 1952. They also helped start the Confederation of African Football in 1957.
The team played in the first African Nations Cup in 1957 and finished second. In 1959, Ethiopia tried to qualify for the 1962 FIFA World Cup for the first time. They lost both games against Israel and were knocked out.
Winning the Africa Cup of Nations
Ethiopia won the African tournament at home in 1962. Nine countries joined the competition that year. Ethiopia, as the host, and the United Arab Republic, as the champions, automatically qualified. Ethiopia won the final match against the United Arab Republic after extra time. This was the greatest achievement for the Ethiopian National team. It is also the only Africa Cup of Nations title they have ever won.
In the 1963 African Cup of Nations, Ethiopia finished fourth. They lost the third-place game to the United Arab Republic. The 1965 tournament was not as good for Ethiopia. They were eliminated early in the group stage.
In the 1968 African Cup of Nations, Ethiopia hosted again and finished fourth. They lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the semi-finals. Two years later, in 1970, the team had a very tough tournament. They finished last in their group. Ethiopia did not qualify for the 1972 African Cup of Nations or the 1974 African Cup of Nations.
Ethiopia hosted the Nations Cup again in 1976. However, they did not make it to the final four teams. They also missed the 1980 African Cup of Nations. Their last qualification for the tournament until 2013 was in 1982.
Success in the CECAFA Cup (2001–2007)
The CECAFA Cup is a regional football tournament. In the 2001 CECAFA Cup, Ethiopia won the championship. They beat Kenya 2–1 in the final game. This success helped Ethiopia move up 17 spots in the FIFA World Rankings.
In the 2004 CECAFA Cup, Ethiopia won the tournament again. They beat Burundi 3–0 in the final match. People in Addis Ababa celebrated in the streets that night. The Ethiopian team also won the CECAFA Cup in 2005. They beat Rwanda 1–0 in the final.
The team did not do as well in the next few CECAFA Cups. In 2006, they lost to Zambia in the quarterfinals. In 2007, they were eliminated early after losing to Zanzibar.
Challenges and Comebacks (2008–Present)
In 2008, the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) was suspended by FIFA. This happened because of problems with how the federation was run. Because of this suspension, Ethiopia was removed from the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. They also missed the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
In July 2009, FIFA allowed the EFF to play again. This happened after the federation elected new leaders. At the 2010 CECAFA Cup, Ethiopia reached the semi-finals. They finished fourth in the tournament.
In 2011, the national coach Iffy Onuora was fired. Later, Tom Saintfiet became coach but left after only five months.
Return to the Africa Cup of Nations
Ethiopia qualified for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations after 31 years. They won their qualification matches based on the away goals rule. This was a big moment for Ethiopian football fans.
World Cup Qualifiers
Ethiopia also did well in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. They reached the third round, which was their best performance ever in World Cup qualification. They were eventually eliminated by Nigeria.
Ethiopia qualified for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. They played in the group stage but did not advance further.
Team Kits
The team has had different kit providers over the years. These include Adidas, Erreà, Umbro, and Gofere.
Kit provider | Period |
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1983–2004 |
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2010–2015 |
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2016–2019 |
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2019–2023 |
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2023– |
Recent Matches
Here are some of the recent match results for the Ethiopian team.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024 Matches
25 February Unofficial Friendly | Ethiopia ![]() |
1–0 | ![]() |
Dire Dawa, Ethiopia |
18:00 UTC−4 | Stadium: Dire Dawa Stadium |
21 March Friendly | Ethiopia ![]() |
1–2 | ![]() |
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
Stadium: Addis Ababa Stadium |
24 March Friendly | Ethiopia ![]() |
2–1 | ![]() |
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
Stadium: Addis Ababa Stadium |
6 June 2026 World Cup qualification | Guinea-Bissau ![]() |
0–0 | ![]() |
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau |
16:00 UTC±0 | Stadium: Estádio 24 de Setembro Referee: Djindo Louis Houngnandande (Benin) |
9 June 2026 World Cup qualification | Djibouti ![]() |
1–1 | ![]() |
El Jadida, Morocco |
17:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium Attendance: 100 Referee: Chelanget Sabila (Uganda) |
4 September 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | Tanzania ![]() |
0–0 | ![]() |
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
19:00 UTC+3 | Stadium: Benjamin Mkapa Stadium Referee: Issa Sy (Senegal) |
9 September 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | Ethiopia ![]() |
0–2 | ![]() |
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
22:00 UTC+3 |
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Stadium: Benjamin Mkapa Stadium Referee: Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria) |
12 October 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | Guinea ![]() |
4–1 | ![]() |
Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
16:00 UTC±0 |
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Stadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium Referee: Clément Kpan (Ivory Coast) |
15 October 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | Ethiopia ![]() |
0–3 | ![]() |
Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
19:00 UTC±0 |
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Stadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria) |
16 November 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | Ethiopia ![]() |
0–2 | ![]() |
Kinshasa, DR Congo |
16:00 UTC+1 | Msuva ![]() Salum ![]() |
Stadium: Stade des Martyrs |
19 November 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | DR Congo ![]() |
1–2 | ![]() |
Kinshasa, DR Congo |
16:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Stade des Martyrs |
Upcoming 2025 Matches
21 March 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification | Ethiopia ![]() |
0–2 | ![]() |
Casablanca, Morocco |
21:00 UTC+1 |
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Stadium: Larbi Zaouli Stadium Attendance: 300 Referee: Patrice Milazar (Mauritius) |
24 March 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification | Ethiopia ![]() |
6–1 | ![]() |
El Jadida, Morocco |
22:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium |
2 August Hybrid Friendly | D.C. United ![]() |
v | ![]() |
Washington, D.C., United States |
17:00 UTC−4 | Stadium: Audi Field |
4 August Friendly | Barbados ![]() |
v | ![]() |
Washington, D.C., United States |
17:00 UTC−4 | Stadium: Audi Field |
September 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification | Egypt ![]() |
v | ![]() |
September 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification | Sierra Leone ![]() |
v | ![]() |
October 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification | Ethiopia ![]() |
v | ![]() |
October 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification | Burkina Faso ![]() |
v | ![]() |
Team Staff
This table shows the current coaching staff for the Ethiopian national football team.
Past Coaches
Many coaches have led the Ethiopian team over the years. Caretaker managers are shown in italics.
Edouardos Virvilis (1950–1954)
Georg Braun (1954–1956)
Jiří Starosta (1959)
Slavko Milošević (1961)
Yidnekatchew Tessema (1961–1962)
Slavko Milošević (1962)
Yidnekatchew Tessema (1963)
Ferenc Szűcs (1968–1969)
Luciano Vassalo (1969–1970)
Adamu Alemu (1970)
Peter Schnittger (1974–1976)
Mengistu Worku (1977–1978)
Mengistu Worku (1980–1982)
Tilahun Tesfaye (1984)
Mengistu Worku (1987)
Klaus Ebbighausen (1987–1989)
Kassahun Teka (1992–1993)
Gebregiorgis Getahun (1993)
Kassahun Teka (1994–1995)
Seyoum Abate (1996)
Oko Idiba (1997)
Kassahun Teka (1997)
Seyoum Abate (1998–2000)
Asrat Haile (2001)
Jochen Figge (2002–2003)
Asrat Haile (2003)
Seyoum Kebede (2003–2004)
Asrat Haile (2004)
Sewnet Bishaw (2004–2006)
Seyoum Abate (2006)
Diego Garzitto (2006–2007)
Tesfaye Fetene (2007)
Tsegaye Desta (2007)
Abraham Teklehaymanot (2008–2010)
Iffy Onuora (2010–2011)
Tom Saintfiet (2011)
Sewnet Bishaw (2011–2014)
Mariano Barreto (2014–2015)
Yohannes Sahle (2015–2016)
Gebremedhin Haile (2016)
Ashenafi Bekele (2017)
Abraham Mebratu (2018–2020)
Wubetu Abate (2020–2023)
Daniel Gebremariam (2023)
Gebremedhin Haile (2023–2024)
Mesay Teferi (2024 -)
Team Players
Current Squad
These players were chosen for the 2025 AFCON qualification matches in November 2024. The numbers for caps (games played) and goals are correct as of November 19, 2024.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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22 | GK | Seid Habtamu | 5 April 1998 | 17 | 0 | ![]() |
1 | GK | Firew Getahun | 12 June 1992 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
23 | GK | Abiyu Kassaye | 9 January 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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16 | DF | Yared Bayeh | 22 January 1995 | 50 | 1 | ![]() |
21 | DF | Asrat Tunjo | 29 November 1996 | 23 | 0 | ![]() |
14 | DF | Birhanu Bekele | 19 December 2002 | 11 | 0 | ![]() |
19 | DF | Yared Kassaye | 1 January 2003 | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
4 | DF | Frezer Kasa | 26 October 1997 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
3 | DF | Ramkel James | 11 July 2001 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
5 | DF | Amanuel Terfa | 23 January 2003 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
11 | DF | Dawit Mamo | 28 March 1997 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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8 | MF | Amanuel Yohannes | 14 March 1999 | 38 | 1 | ![]() |
13 | MF | Biniam Ayten | 31 March 2003 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
15 | MF | Abinet Demissie | 16 February 2000 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
20 | MF | Bereket Wolde | 18 October 1997 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
10 | MF | Abdulkerim Worku | 24 May 2001 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
6 | MF | Redwan Nassir | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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17 | FW | Chernet Gugesa | 13 September 1999 | 29 | 2 | ![]() |
7 | FW | Bereket Desta | 20 October 2000 | 12 | 1 | ![]() |
2 | FW | Kitika Jima | 27 August 2000 | 6 | 1 | ![]() |
12 | FW | Amanuel Arbo | 30 June 1999 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
9 | FW | Mohammednur Nassir | 27 August 2003 | 1 | 1 | ![]() |
18 | FW | Anteneh Tefera | 11 August 2003 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
Recent Call-ups
These players have also been called up for Ethiopia in the last 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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GK | Abubeker Nura | 11 September 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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DF | Ramadan Yusef | 12 February 2001 | 43 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Suleman Hamid | 20 October 1997 | 30 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Million Solomon | 13 April 1997 | 15 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Henok Adugna | 28 October 1995 | 13 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Fetudin Jamal | 24 November 1997 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Aschalew Tamene | 22 November 1991 | 71 | 3 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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MF | Gatoch Panom (captain) | 12 June 1994 | 69 | 8 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Beneyam Belay | 18 July 1998 | 32 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Kenean Markneh | 30 March 1998 | 32 | 4 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Surafel Dagnachew | 11 September 1997 | 31 | 3 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Wogene Gezahegn | 5 July 2006 | 9 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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FW | Abel Yalew | 23 March 1996 | 24 | 3 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Mesfin Tafesse | 26 November 2001 | 16 | 3 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Habtamu Tadesse | 3 November 1999 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Dawa Hotessa | 9 March 1996 | 31 | 6 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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Team Records
Here are some records for the Ethiopian national football team. Players in bold are still playing for Ethiopia.
Most Games Played
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Shimelis Bekele | 81 | 15 | 2010–2023 |
2 | Aschalew Tamene | 71 | 3 | 2015–present |
3 | Gatoch Panom | 69 | 8 | 2012–present |
4 | Getaneh Kebede | 66 | 33 | 2010–2022 |
5 | Yared Bayeh | 52 | 1 | 2015–present |
6 | Adane Girma | 49 | 9 | 2004–2014 |
7 | Oumed Oukri | 48 | 12 | 2009–2023 |
8 | Abebaw Butako | 46 | 2 | 2008–2017 |
9 | Degu Debebe | 44 | 0 | 2003–2014 |
10 | Ramadan Yusef | 43 | 1 | 2019–present |
Top Goal Scorers
Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Getaneh Kebede | 33 | 66 | 0.5 | 2010–2022 |
2 | Mengistu Worku | 16 | 18 | 0.89 | 1959–1970 |
3 | Shimelis Bekele | 15 | 81 | 0.19 | 2010–2023 |
4 | Saladin Said | 14 | 28 | 0.5 | 2007–2017 |
5 | Oumed Oukri | 12 | 48 | 0.25 | 2009–2023 |
6 | Fikru Teferra | 11 | 25 | 0.44 | 2004–2014 |
7 | Adane Girma | 9 | 49 | 0.18 | 2004–2014 |
8 | Sintayehu Getachew | 8 | 11 | 0.73 | 1997–2000 |
Gatoch Panom | 8 | 69 | 0.12 | 2012–present | |
10 | Amanuel Gebremichael | 7 | 42 | 0.17 | 2017–present |
Tournament History
FIFA World Cup
Ethiopia has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times. They have not yet made it to the main tournament.
FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1930 to 1950 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Entry not accepted by FIFA | Entry not accepted by FIFA | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||
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5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 11 | ||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||
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2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
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Disqualified due to FIFA suspension | Disqualified | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 10 | ||||||||
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4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
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8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | |||||||||
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To be determined | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||
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To be determined | ||||||||||||||
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Total | – | 0/18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 55 | 12 | 17 | 26 | 59 | 80 |
Africa Cup of Nations
Ethiopia has played in the Africa Cup of Nations several times. They won the tournament once in 1962.
Africa Cup of Nations record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
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Runners-up | 2nd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | No qualification | ||||||
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Third place | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | |||||||
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Champions | 1st | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
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Fourth place | 4th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | Qualified as defending champions | ||||||
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Group stage | 5th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | |
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Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
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Group stage | 6th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
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Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||
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2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||
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Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
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Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | ||||||||
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2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
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Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
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Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
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Withdrew during qualifying | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||
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Withdrew during qualifying | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 12 | ||||||||
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Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 12 | ||||||||
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10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 18 | |||||||||
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6 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 21 | |||||||||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
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6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
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6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | |||||||||
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Disqualified | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | ||||||||
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Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 13 | ||||||||
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Group stage | 16th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | |
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Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 | ||||||||
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6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 14 | |||||||||
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4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
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Group stage | 23rd | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | |
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Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | ||||||||
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6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 12 | |||||||||
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To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
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Total | 1 Title | 11/35 | 30 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 31 | 67 | 119 | 36 | 20 | 63 | 116 | 208 |
Team Achievements
Continental Awards
Regional Awards
Summary of Awards
Senior Competitions | ![]() |
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Total |
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CAF African Cup of Nations | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Total | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Etiopía para niños