Ethiopian referee Bamlak Tessema retires from football arbitration

Ethiopian referee Bamlak Tessema has announced his retirement from football arbitration. Tessema has been a FIFA-listed referee from the East African nation since 2009.

Tessema kickstarted his career in 2003 by handling games in different Ethiopian leagues. He has been a top performer, receiving his FIFA badge in 2009. Tessema has officiated matches at the Africa Cup of Nations, African Nations Championship (CHAN), CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. He was a fourth official during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Tessema is well known for his commanding performances during his time as a referee. He is also credited with introducing new practices to the Ethiopian refereeing scene. The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) thanked Tessema for his work and wished him well in his future endeavors.

In a message sent to FIFA, Tessema thanked the world football governing body. He officiated a few Ethiopian Premier League games during the 2024/25 season and served as a VAR referee during the 2024 CHAN.

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