World Cup (Q): Uncertain future for coach Mesay Teferi as Ethiopia close out campaign

Ethiopia national team head coach Mesay Teferi has stated that his future as the Waliyas boss will be revealed soon after 2026 World Cup qualifying ends. His team will face Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso in their last two qualifying fixtures from Group A.

Teferi’s charges have fared poorly during the qualifiers, with only one win and three draws, as they sit fifth with six points. The repeated losses have put pressure on both the coach and the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF).

Before departing for Kigali for the ninth round, Teferi spoke about his unclear future with his contract set to end at the end of 2025. “Regarding my future, what will happen is decided only by God. We shall see what will happen when we get there.”

The short response from the coach is an expected one, but the EFF might be in the process of getting a new coach once the qualifiers are over. A foreign coach last trained the national side almost a decade ago, with Portuguese coach Mariano Barreto taking charge of the Waliyas for one year. There is a growing demand in Ethiopian football for a foreign coach over a local one.

The Waliyas failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and are already out of contention to qualify for the upcoming 2026 finals which will be hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada.