World Cup (Q): Ethiopia playing for pride in final qualifiers- Sherefa

Ethiopia national team captain Hayder Sherefa stated that the team is on a mission to restore pride as they face Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso to conclude 2026 World Cup qualifying. The Waliyas, as they are nicknamed, are out of contention to qualify after securing only one win throughout the campaign.

Sherefa replaced center back Yared Bayeh as the team captain after the latter was dropped from the national side for the remaining qualifying games. The 2024/25 Ethiopian Premier League Most Valuable Player award winner said they are ready to face Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso:

“We have prepared well for the encounters in the way the coach wanted. The coach showed us what we should do, and we were ready to comprehend the instructions given to us. It would have been better if we had played a friendly game, but due to known circumstances, that could not materialize.”

The national team was set to play a warm-up game against Ethiopian Coffee, but the sudden passing of former national team goalkeeper Sadat Jemal, following a short illness, forced the game to be canceled.

Sherefa, who recently left league champions Ethiopian Insurance for Adama Ketema, also added that they are playing for pride. “We don’t have any chance to qualify, but we are representing our nation. We don’t take this lightly. The responsibility is huge. So, we will play to win the games. It is all about pride for us.”

The Waliyas are fifth in the group with six points. They will host Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday, October 8 in Kigali, and visit Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou on October 12.