Ethiopia national football team
Walias · CECAFA · Elo 1340 (44th in Africa)
About the Ethiopia national team
The Ethiopia national football team (Walias) represents Ethiopia in men's international football and competes in CAF's East and Central African (CECAFA) region.
In total, Ethiopia have played 413 recorded internationals since 1947: 146 wins (35.4%), 93 draws and 174 defeats, with 553 goals scored and 597 conceded.
Ethiopia have won the Africa Cup of Nations once (1962).
Ethiopia have not yet qualified for a FIFA World Cup finals tournament.
Our Elo rating puts Ethiopia on 1340 points: 44th in Africa and 176th in the world. Their highest rating (1628) came in 1968.
Mengistu Worku is the leading scorer in our match records with 11 goals for Ethiopia.
Next matches
All fixtures →Recent results
All results →LLWLWWWDLL
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2026 | L |  Senegal |
0–1 | AFCON Qualification | H · Bahir Dar |
| 25 Sep 2026 | L |  Sudan |
0–1 | AFCON Qualification | N · Juba |
| 9 Jun 2026 | D |  Malawi |
1–1 | International Friendly | H · Dire Dawa |
| 6 Jun 2026 | W | Malawi |
1–0 | International Friendly | H · Dire Dawa |
| 31 Mar 2026 | W |  São Tomé and Príncipe |
1–0 | AFCON Qualification | H · Dire Dawa |
| 27 Mar 2026 | W | São Tomé and Príncipe |
3–0 | AFCON Qualification | N · El Jadida |
| 12 Oct 2025 | L |  Burkina Faso |
1–3 | World Cup Qualification | A · Ouagadougou |
| 8 Oct 2025 | W |  Guinea-Bissau |
1–0 | World Cup Qualification | N · Kigali |
| 9 Sep 2025 | L |  Sierra Leone |
0–2 | World Cup Qualification | N · Monrovia |
| 5 Sep 2025 | L |  Egypt |
0–2 | World Cup Qualification | A · Cairo |
| 24 Mar 2025 | W |  Djibouti |
6–1 | World Cup Qualification | N · El Jadida |
| 21 Mar 2025 | L | Egypt |
0–2 | World Cup Qualification | N · Casablanca |
Key facts
- At home
- 91W 52D 40L (50% wins)
- Away
- 25W 18D 92L (19% wins)
- Neutral venues
- 30W 23D 42L (32% wins)
- Goals per match
- 1.34 scored, 1.45 conceded
- Clean sheets
- 126 (31%)
- Failed to score
- 140 matches (34%)
- Most common score
- 0–1 (40 times)
- vs Asia
- 2W 1D 4L
- vs Europe
- 0W 1D 5L
- vs North America
- 0W 1D 1L
- vs South America
- 1W 0D 0L
- Best decade
- 1960s (54% wins)
- First recorded match
- Djibouti 0–5 Ethiopia (1947)
Where Ethiopian players were born
All birthplaces →Each dot is a birthplace; bigger dots mean more players. Players born outside Africa are on the born abroad page.
Active Ethiopian internationals
Where they play →| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getaneh Kebede | Forward | Saint George SC | – | – |
| Loza Abera | Forward |  Birkirkara F.C. | – | – |
| Shimelis Bekele | Midfielder | El Gouna FC | – | – |
| Adane Girma | Forward | Awassa City F.C. | 45 | 9 |
| Oumed Oukri | Forward | Aswan SC | – | – |
| Abebayehu Achiso | Midfielder | Wolayta Dicha | – | – |
Players with an open club spell and a senior cap on record; not an official squad list.
Top scorers
Full list →- Mengistu Worku1962–1970
- Getaneh Kebede2011–2022
- Luciano Vassallo1961–1968
- Girma Tekle1962–1968
- Saladin Said2012–2013
- Abubeker Nassir2021–2025
- Tariku Ingdawerk1972–1973
- Shimelis Bekele2011–2015
- Bereket Desta2025–2025
- Zerga Geremew1969–1969
Record by competition
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFCON Qualification | 115 | 37 | 19 | 59 | 118 | 191 | 1965–2026 | |
| CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup | 78 | 31 | 22 | 25 | 114 | 79 | 1983–2017 | |
| World Cup Qualification | 59 | 13 | 17 | 29 | 61 | 87 | 1961–2025 | |
| Africa Cup of Nations | 30 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 31 | 67 | 1 | 1957–2022 |
Notable Ethiopian players
All players →
Getaneh KebedeEthiopia · Saint George SC
S
Saladin SaidEthiopia · b. 1988
Walid AttaEthiopia · b. 1986
Fuad IbrahimEthiopia · b. 1991
Gatoch PanomEthiopia · b. 1994
Loza AberaEthiopia · Birkirkara F.C.
S
Shimelis BekeleEthiopia · El Gouna FC
Y
Yussuf SalehEthiopia · b. 1984
M
Mengistu WorkuEthiopia · b. 1940
A
Adane GirmaEthiopia · Awassa City F.C.
F
Fikru-Teferra LemessaEthiopia · b. 1986
J
Jemal TassewEthiopia · b. 1989
Frequently asked questions
What is the nickname of the Ethiopia national team?
Ethiopia are nicknamed the Walias.
How many times have Ethiopia won AFCON?
Ethiopia have won the Africa Cup of Nations 1 time (1962).
Have Ethiopia played at the World Cup?
No, Ethiopia have not qualified for a World Cup finals tournament yet.
Who is the top scorer for Ethiopia?
In our match database, Mengistu Worku leads with 11 goals. Goal data is most complete for tournament matches.
What is the biggest win in Ethiopia history?
Ethiopia 10–2 Djibouti on 1 May 1954 (International Friendly).