World Cup (Q): Ethiopia coach Mesay Teferi admits struggles after defeat to Egypt

Ethiopia national team coach Mesay Teferi admitted that his charges suffered during Friday’s 0-2 defeat at the hands of Egypt in Group A from 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying. Teferi said the Walyas were on the wrong foot in the first half against Egypt in Cairo.

Speaking to the press following the match, Teferi stated the team struggled in the first half, where the Pharaohs went 2-0 up thanks to penalty-kick goals from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. “We were under immense pressure in the first half. When we were defending close to our goal, it was obvious that penalties would come. We also found it hard to go out through transitions. Nonetheless, we did perform well in the second half.”

Ethiopia was second best in every aspect of the encounter, as Egypt now looks ahead to qualifying for the World Cup in 2026. Teferi admitted Ethiopia’s chances of progressing to the playoffs are now very slim. “We have to look out for the other teams’ results, but our chance is very narrow.”

Ethiopia and Egypt are among the four founding members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 1957, but Teferi added his nation needs to work more to close the gap against the top nations. “We started alongside Egypt. We did not work on many things, so we are now in this position. We have started many things, and in the future, we hope to make changes.”

Ethiopia is fifth in the group with 6 points and will face Sierra Leone on matchday eight in Monrovia on Tuesday, September 9.

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