Ethiopian FA, FIFA Collaborate for New Technical Hub

From left to right: EFF General Secretary Bahiru Tilahun, Abigail Lemma and Nebyu Demisse. Photo Credit: Ethiopian Football Federation

The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has outlined a plan to construct a technical center. , The EFF president, Esayas Jira, is seeking to build this technical center with help from FIFA. The need for a technical center has been discussed for several years in Ethiopian football but has failed to materialize, mainly due to lack of finances.

EFF Secretary General Bahiru Tilahun and Finance Director Nebyu Demisse had a fruitful discussion with FIFA Member Association Development Manager for North and East Africa, Abigail Lemma, at the federation’s headquarters in Addis Ababa. Among the topics raised for discussion was the planned construction of a technical center. Another topic that was discussed was FIFA Forward 3.0.

The EFF does not own a technical center, as national teams usually camp at hotels and train in stadiums owned by the government. African nations have taken the initiative in constructing technical centers for the growth and development of football. For example, the Egypt Football Association recently constructed a new technical center.

With the Ethiopian government engaged in constructing stadiums, EFF opted to use funding from FIFA to build a technical center. The location and the overall plan of the center are yet to be unveiled but many in Ethiopian football see this development as a positive move by the EFF.