Tickets for the friendly between D.C. United and the Ethiopia National Team are not included in Full Season Ticket Packages, however, Season Ticket Members can claim up to four (4) complimentary tickets through Account Manager beginning at 10 a.m. ET. For Members needing additional tickets or would like to explore an upgraded experience, please contact your personal service representative. A presale window for STM’s and Audi Field subscribers will open at 12 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 7. 

“We are honored to welcome the Ethiopian National Team and proud that Audi Field continues to bring together fans and players from across the global football community,” Dr. Erkut Sogut, D.C. United Managing Director of Soccer Operations, said. “Moments like this highlight the unifying power of the game and showcase the passion of fans throughout the world.”

The Ethiopia Soccer Legacy Match was established in 2024 as a growing collaboration with D.C. United co-owner Eyob Joe Mamo, CEO of Capital Petroleum. This partnership is designed to create opportunities to develop future talent in Ethiopia while also bringing soccer events featuring Ethiopia clubs and its national team to Audi Field. 

This collaboration with the Ethiopia Football Federation was spearheaded by Mamo, an Ethiopian native, as part of a continued effort to bring soccer and cultures together in Washington, D.C. In May 2024, D.C. United partnered with the Ethiopia Football Federation to bridge the gap between Ethiopian soccer and invest in it while connecting the Ethiopian community to soccer in the DMV. 

“This collaboration with D.C. United has allowed the Ethiopia Football Federation to create a meaningful platform for players to showcase their talents while also celebrating and bringing together a community through the power of football,” said Eyob Joe Mamo. “We are honored to be part of this as it continues to be yet another example of how D.C. United has fostered the growth of Ethiopian football in the nation’s capital.” 

The Ethiopia national football team, known as the Walia Ibex, has a storied history in Africa, highlighted by their 1962 Africa Cup of Nations victory on home soil. Under the guidance of head coach Yohannes Sahle, who was appointed by the Ethiopian Football Federation in January 2026 for his second tenure leading the national team, Ethiopia recently advanced through the preliminary round of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying with a 4-0 aggregate victory over São Tomé and Príncipe. Forward Bereket Desta led the Walia Ibex in scoring throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with three goals, including a hat trick in a 6-1 win over Djibouti in March 2025. Other key contributors include forward Abubeker Nassir and Ramkel James, whose goal secured Ethiopia’s 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in October 2025. 

(D.C. UNITED)

Kids’ Athletics is an initiative that uses the power of athletics to inspire children around the world to be more active. Since its launch in 2022, Kids’ Athletics Day – celebrated annually on 7 May – has grown into a truly global celebration, reaching 1.3 million children across schools, clubs and communities. Now, to mark the five-year milestone, the goal is to take that total to two million. 

Each Kids’ Athletics Day has offered a new theme and new ways to engage children in fun, inclusive and age-appropriate athletics activities. The 2026 theme celebrates the power of FIVE, highlighting five years of impact and focusing on celebration and connection. This year’s campaign encourages local creativity while contributing to one shared global goal: getting more children moving, more often, through athletics.  

The 2026 campaign kicked off in style as Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo joined 50 local children in his home country of Botswana for a special activation on the eve of the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26. In his role as a Kids’ Athletics ambassador, Tebogo encouraged the children as they took part in movement-based activities and relay-inspired challenges. 

Alongside this, the Botswana Athletics Association hosted more than 400 children for a Kids’ Athletics Day festival just outside the National Stadium. The children then had the chance to watch the World Relays in person, receiving tickets from World Athletics and the local organizing committee to ensure they were part of history. 

As well as watching from the stands, several children had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join their heroes on the track in their roles as baton kids. For select 4x400m races including all the finals, the baton kids handed over race batons to each team as they were introduced at the start line. The children were embraced by the athletes as they joined in on team introductions, gave high fives and rubbed shoulders with the sport’s stars. 

As the five-year participation total moves ever closer to the two million target, member federations around the world are logging their activities on the global leaderboard. 

After just six full days of activities during a campaign period that runs from 1-31 May, Uganda is already well ahead with more than 37,000 kids having participated in 22 activations across the country. 

A four-way battle is emerging for the other podium places as Benin, Brazil, Kenya and Venezuela have each already inspired some 5000 children to take part in multiple events. 

Brazil has so far hosted 54 activations across the country, following a campaign led by the national federation. There are more than 80 athletics training centres across Brazil and the training centre with the highest level of engagement will receive recognition from the Confederação Brasileira de Atletismo. 

(World Athletics)

The Horsemen started the tie with a more direct approach, opting for swift counterattacks. The Browns tried to dominate the midfield, but controlling the tempo of the game was tough for both sides. Saint George took the lead in the 24th minute when Habtamu Gulelat set up Fitsum Tilahun to slot home from close range after poor defending from Ethiopian Coffee.

The visitors came close to equalizing through a strong left-footed effort from Nigerian striker Abubaker Adamu. The Browns got the much-needed equalizer at the stroke of half-time when Okay Jul finished from the edge of the box in a composed manner following superb work from team captain Ramkel James.

In the second half, Ethiopian Coffee opted for more direct football and were rewarded shortly with a goal from Biniyam Getachew. The former Dire Dawa Ketema forward capitalized on a concentration lapse by the Horsemen to put the ball into the net. The Browns were the better side and got their third goal when Zelalem Abate scored from inside the box with a right-footed strike in the 66th minute.

After the win, Ethiopian Coffee is still 7th in the table with 41 points, six ahead of 10th-placed Saint George. In Round 29, Ethiopian Coffee will play relegation battlers Wolwalo Adigrat University, while Saint George is up against title aspirants Sidama Coffee.

(Pan-African Football)

MIDROC Investment Group has given $168,460 USD (26 million Ethiopian Birr) to the club on top of the 50 million Birr they handed to the club a month ago. The Horsemen stated that the funds received from MIDROC will be used to settle payments for former foreign players and sign new players. The funds will support the club in getting through their ongoing FIFA transfer ban.

Gratitude was extended from the Addis Ababa giants to MIDROC Investment Group CEO Jemal Ahmed for the additional support. Ahmed is a die-hard supporter and had criticized the former club’s leadership helmed by Abinet Gebremeskel after a rift broke out between the chairman and MIDROC owner Mohamed Hussien Ali Al-Amoudi.

Ahmed previously stated that MIDROC would only support the club if the Gebremeskel-led board agreed to step down. Gebremeskel resigned from his post a few months ago as MIDROC commenced financial support.

Since financial help was rendered to the giants from the capital, the club has not lost any league games. The Horsemen have won three games and drawn one as they successfully got out of the relegation zone to sit 10th with 35 points. They will lock horns against cross-city rivals Ethiopian Coffee on Sunday, April 26, in Addis Ababa in a rescheduled Ethiopian Premier League fixture.

(Pan-African Football)

Mekele 70 Enderta defeated second-division strugglers Boditi Ketema 3–2 to advance to the semi-finals of the Ethiopian Cup. The Wolayta Zone club took the lead through Muluken Tesfaye in the first half, but Mekele’s talisman Fitsum Alemu equalized before the break.

Two quick goals from Ghanaian forward Prince Ofori and Bona Ali handed Mekele a 3–1 lead in the second half. Boditi tried to force the game to a penalty shootout after a late goal from Tewodros Belete, but the top-flight side held firm to cruise to the next round.

Wolwalo Adigrat University beat Mechal 5–4 on penalties to dramatically confirm their place in the semi-finals of the Ethiopian Cup. Record Ethiopian Cup champions Mechal were the better side during the regular 90 minutes but failed to get past Wolwalo’s Ugandan goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa. Girum Hagos and Mohamed Abera missed golden opportunities for Mechal in the first half.

In a dramatic penalty shootout, 14-time champions Mechal looked to be securing a victory but missed their last three spot kicks, as Wolwalo capitalized to get back into the tie. Mutakubwa put in a man-of-the-match performance, saving three Mechal spot kicks.

Both Mekele 70 Enderta and Wolwalo Adigrat University are battling relegation in the 2025/26 CBE Ethiopian Premier League, and their recent surge in the Ethiopian Cup could be a key factor in their pursuit of league safety.

(Pan-African Football)

Sidama Coffee comfortably defeated Dire Dawa Ketema 2–0 in Hawassa, creating a ten-point gap at the top of the table. Abel Yalew continued his fine form as he grabbed a second-half brace to hand Sidama Coffee maximum points in front of a huge crowd at Hawassa University Stadium.

Mechal and Hawassa Ketema played out a goalless draw, as both sides dropped two valuable points in the title race. New signing Kitika Jema struck for Negelle Arsi in their 1–1 draw against Hadiya Hosaina in another key fixture. Temsegne Birhanu scored for Hadiya to cancel out Jema’s strike in the second half.

Record Ethiopian champions Saint George recorded their third win in four games after beating the weakened Adama Ketema 1–0. Fitsum Tilahun headed home a corner kick in the second half as the Horsemen ready themselves for the crucial Sheger Derby against cross-city rivals Ethiopian Coffee this Sunday, April 26.

Five bizarre minutes handed Mekelle 70 Enderta a lifeline in their fight for survival as they trounced Fasil Kenema 3–0. The one-time Ethiopian champions scored three unanswered goals between the 55th and 60th minutes to secure the win. Bona Ali scored a brace, while Million Wolde got the other for Mekelle.

In another fixture, goals from Netsanet Gebremedhin and Firew Solomon gave Wolwalo Adigrat University a decisive 2–0 win over Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.

Sidama Coffee lead the table with 54 points. Mechal are second with 44 points, followed by Negelle Arsi with the same tally. Ethio Electric leapfrogged Fasil Kenema to sit fifth with 42 points. Saint George climbed to 10th with 35 points. Wolwalo Adigrat University, Dire Dawa Ketema, Ethiopian Insurance, Midere Genet Shire, Mekelle 70 Enderta, and Arbaminch Ketema remain in the relegation fight.

The rescheduled Week 20 fixture between arch-rivals Saint George and Ethiopian Coffee headlines the Ethiopian Premier League this Sunday. Only three points separate the two sides heading into the Sheger Derby. Saint George edged Ethiopian Coffee 1–0 in the first league meeting between the two teams this season.

(Pan-African Football)

Sidama Coffee bounced back from their last-round defeat as they pipped Commercial Bank of Ethiopia 1-0. Abel Yalew struck the only goal of the match at the stroke of half-time. The Ethiopian international scored his 12th league goal of the season, topping the scoring chart. Sidama Coffee now have 51 points, eight points clear of second-placed Mechal.

Mechal came from behind to defeat Dire Dawa Ketema 2-1. An early strike from Mohammed-Nur Nassir gave the Easterners the lead, but the army side got their goals from Alembirhan Yigzaw and Ghanaian striker Colin Cujo. Abdulkerim Worku squandered a spot kick in the first half for the Addis Ababa side.

Saint George surrendered a 2-0 lead to draw against Arbaminch Ketema in the relegation dogfight. First-half goals from Fitsum Tilahun and Tegenu Teshome were canceled out by Jerome Philip and Mamadou Seck.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Coffee and Hadiya Hosaena played out a goalless draw, while Fasil Kenema beat Wolayta Dicha. The Tigray derby between Mekele 70 Enderta and Wolwalo Adigrat University ended in favor of Mekele.

The 20 league clubs will be trimmed to 16 sides from next season. The clubs that will be promoted to the top flight have now been confirmed after Gamo Chencha and Halaba Ketema won their second division groups.

Sidama Coffee top the league with 51 points, followed by Mechal and Negelle Arsi with 43 points. Hawassa Ketema slipped to fourth with 42 points. Ethiopian Coffee are seventh with 37 points, while Saint George sit 13th with 32 points. Wolayta Dicha, Ethiopian Insurance, Midere Genet Shire, Wolwalo Adigrat University, Mekele 70 Enderta, and Arbaminch Ketema are in the drop zone.

(Pan-African Football)

A record number of meetings feature in this year’s Continental Tour calendar, with several nations hosting Continental Tour events for the first time. They include Ethiopia, which welcomes athletes for the Addis Ababa Grand Prix on 18 April.

From there, the next Gold level meeting – the Kip Keino Classic – will return to Nairobi in Kenya on 24 April, before the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone on 26 April and the Simbine Classic in Pretoria, South Africa, on 28 April.

World-class athletics will then return to Botswana at the start of next month as Gaborone hosts the World Athletics Relays on 2-3 May.

USA’s treble Olympic champion Gabby Thomas is among the stars set to compete in multiple of those Continental Tour meetings.

The 29-year-old – who gained 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – will be joined in Addis Ababa by her compatriot Dalilah Muhammad, the 2016 Olympic and 2019 world 400m hurdles gold medallist, plus 2022 world indoor 60m hurdles champion Cyréna Samba-Mayela of France.

Canada’s Camryn Rogers will be among the athletes headlining the Kip Keino Classic as the Olympic and world champion defends her hammer title. She has started her season in superb style, throwing 81.13m to improve her own North American record at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays presented by Truist, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger event, in Austin, USA, at the start of this month.

Thomas and Muhammad will take to the track again for the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, where they will be joined by the likes of Canada’s two-time Olympic gold medallist Andre De Grasse, South Africa’s world 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk and Kenya’s African 100m record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala.

A competitive 300m clash has been announced for the Simbine Classic – a meeting held in partnership with South African 100m record-holder Akani Simbine. In the 300m, Zambia’s Olympic 400m bronze medallist Muzala Samukonga will take on a field featuring the likes of South Africa’s Zakithi Nene and Lythe Pillay.

The Continental Tour is divided into four levels – Gold, Silver, Bronze and Challenger. The status of each meeting is determined by the quality of competition and prize money on offer.

Athletes from at least 30 countries across all continental areas will compete in each of the upcoming Gold, Silver and Bronze meetings in Nairobi, Gaborone, Pretoria and Addis Ababa.

The Addis Ababa Grand Prix is the first ever one-day meeting to be held in Ethiopia and is expecting 30,000 fans to attend.

The expansion of the Continental Tour calendar reflects the work done by the World Athletics Competitions and Events Department to develop a Continental Tour structure in Africa. The Continental Tour has been embraced by the African athletics community, with a key element the opportunity it offers athletes to collect valuable world ranking points close to home.

More than 290 meetings are included in this year’s Continental Tour calendar, which runs through to November.

(World Athletics)

Unstoppable Sidama Coffee are on the right track to lift their maiden Ethiopian league title. They defeated Mekele 70 Enderta 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Abel Yalew. Yalew ran behind the Mekele defense to score the crucial goal in the 26th minute. Sidama Coffee are now seven points clear at the top. Yalew also tops the scoring chart with 11 goals.

Hawassa Ketema failed to close the gap on Sidama Coffee following their dramatic 2-2 draw against Wolwalo Adigrat University. Biruk Yared opened the scoring for the Lakers in the first half, but two late goals from Netsanet Gebremedhin and Dawit Gebru turned the result around for the Yellows. Veteran midfielder Shemeles Bekele restored parity deep into injury time.

Negelle Arsi ended their five-game winless run with a superb 2-1 win over Adama Ketema. Dawit Tefera and Rohobot Selalo scored for the newcomers, while Dawa Hotessa netted for Adama.

Saint George ended their eight-game winless run with a 2-1 victory over Hadiya Hosaina. With financial support from MIDROC Investment Group, BGI Ethiopia, and the Addis Ababa City Administration, the Ethiopian giants managed to pay their players five months of owed salaries.

This development boosted the players’ morale as they edged Hadiya Hosaina 2-1. Yeabsera Gossaye and Fuad Abdella scored for the Horsemen, though Gossaye also scored an own goal during the match.

Elsewhere, Ethiopian Coffee secured a 1-0 win over reigning champions Ethiopian Insurance, thanks to a long-range strike from Biniyam Getachew.

Standings update: Sidama Coffee top the table with 48 points, while Hawassa Ketema sit second with 41 points. Negelle Arsi are third, also with 41 points. Ethiopian Coffee are seventh with 35 points. Saint George, Shire Midere Genet, Mekele 70 Enderta, and Arbaminch Ketema remain in the relegation zone.

(Pan-African Football)

According to information from the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, preparations are underway as confirmed participants, including Olympic and World Championship medalists, begin arranging travel to the Ethiopian capital. The event represents Ethiopia’s entry into the World Athletics Continental Tour framework, where Bronze-level meetings are recognized as part of the international competition calendar.

Among the athletes’ confirming participation is Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa’s fastest man in the 100 meters. The Kenyan sprinter, a gold medalist in both the 100 meters and 4×100 meters at the African Athletics Championships 2022, is expected to headline the sprint events. Omanyala is widely regarded as a key figure in Kenya’s short-distance track program at global competitions.

The federation also confirmed the participation of Dalilah Muhammad, the 400-meter hurdles gold medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Muhammad, who also secured a world title at the World Athletics Championships 2019, remains one of the leading figures in her discipline and a former world record holder.

In addition, Gabby Thomas, identified as a Paris Olympic 200-meter champion, has also confirmed her participation, according to earlier announcements by the federation.

The Ethiopian Athletics Federation stated that the participating athletes have completed the necessary registration processes, with additional Olympic and World Championship competitors expected to arrive in Addis Ababa in the coming days.

Ethiopia’s opportunity to host the Addis Grand Prix follows its inclusion in the World Athletics Continental Tour calendar, a development attributed to ongoing efforts by the national federation to expand the country’s role beyond long-distance running into hosting international competitions. The Continental Tour, established by World Athletics in 2020, provides a structured series of meetings across different levels, including Gold, Silver, and Bronze, offering host nations the platform to stage internationally recognized events.