Netsanet Kibre. Photo: Tikvah Images
Ethiopian Coffee has parted ways with their head coach, Netsanet Kibre, due to a new coaching license regulation introduced by the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF). The Browns have named his assistant, Abiy Kassahun, as Kibre’s successor.
The EFF has introduced a new regulation regarding coaches’ licensing. According to the regulation, coaches are required to have a CAF A coaching license to work at any Ethiopian Premier League club as either head coach or assistant coach. The regulation will take effect from the 2025/26 season, but CAF B license holders will be allowed to work for one season. In the 2026/27 season, all top-flight clubs will only be allowed to hire coaches who hold an A license.
New Ethiopian Coffee coach Kassahun. Photo: Ethiopian Coffee
This new regulation has forced the Addis Ababa-based club, Ethiopian Coffee, to appoint a new head coach. Kibre’s contract with the club ended in June, and the board had been negotiating a possible renewal. However, Kibre does not hold either an A or B license, prompting Coffee to quickly appoint Kassahun as their new coach.
Kibre led Coffee to a second-place finish in the 2024/25 season and won the Ethiopian Cup in 2024. His replacement, Kassahun, is a well-known figure in grassroots football. He has coached the youth teams of Saint George, Coffee, and the Ethiopian U-20 and U-17 national sides.