Ethiopian federation appoints American coach Ziemer to lead U-17 side

The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has named Benjamin Ziemer as the new head coach of the Ethiopia U-17 national team. The American coach will be tasked with qualifying the Red Foxes for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, which is due next year in Morocco.

The Ethiopian U17 side had been without a coach after failing to qualify for the last edition of the U17 AFCON. EFF secretary general Bahiru Tilahun stated that they hope their working relationship with Ziemer will be a fruitful one: “We have named NorCal Academy coach Ziemer as head coach. He was helping us with our Road to 2029 project. We think that we will have a successful cooperation. We have a CECAFA Zone U17 qualifier in November 2025. Our aim is to qualify for U-17 AFCON.”

Ziemer assisted the EFF in the Road to 2029 project. The project was designed by the EFF to produce young talents who could play for the senior national side in the 2029 AFCON. Ziemer, a California native, has worked extensively in youth development in the United States. He has served as assistant to Hugo Perez on the U-14 and U-15 U.S. national teams that included the Christian Pulisic-led golden generation of youngsters, and he was the 2016 Development Academy West Conference U-18 Coach of the Year.

Ethiopia last had a foreign coach at youth level in 2001, when Frenchman Diego Garzitto handled the U-20 side. The well-traveled trainer led Ethiopia U-20 to a fourth-place finish at the 2001 African Youth Championship and qualified Ethiopia for the first time to the World Youth Championship in Argentina.