🇪🇹EthiopiaEast Africa
D.C. United to play Ethiopia national team in friendly at Audi Field on July 11
via The Reporter Ethiopia7 min read
D.C. United announced a friendly match against the Ethiopia national team, scheduled for Saturday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Audi Field. This event marks the third annual Ethiopia Soccer Legacy Match. Previously, D.C. United hosted Ethiopian Premier League sides Coffee Sport Club and St. George FC in September 2024, and the Ethiopia national team in August 2025. Tickets for the friendly are not part of Full Season Ticket Packages, but Season Ticket Members can claim up to four complimentary tickets. A presale window for Season Ticket Members and Audi Field subscribers opened on May 7. Dr. Erkut Sogut, D.C. United Managing Director of Soccer Operations, expressed honor in welcoming the Ethiopian national team, highlighting the unifying power of football. The Ethiopia Soccer Legacy Match was established in 2024 through a collaboration with D.C. United co-owner Eyob Joe Mamo, CEO of Capital Petroleum. This partnership aims to develop future talent in Ethiopia and bring Ethiopian clubs and the national team to Audi Field. Mamo, an Ethiopian native, spearheaded the collaboration with the Ethiopia Football Federation to bridge the gap in Ethiopian soccer and connect the Ethiopian community to soccer in the DMV area. The Ethiopia national football team, known as the Walia Ibex, won the 1962 Africa Cup of Nations. Under head coach Yohannes Sahle, appointed in January 2026, Ethiopia advanced in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying with a 4-0 aggregate victory over São Tomé and
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Reporter Ethiopia.
Must ReadOver 4,000 participants have gathered in Addis Ababa for the final conference of Ethiopia's National Dialogue, which began today at the Addis International Convention Center and will continue for several weeks. The conference will address eight main agendas established by the Dialogue Commission NDC after years of nationwide input. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed PhD indicated in his opening remarks that the resolutions could result in constitutional amendments. Mesfin Araya PhD, commissioner of the NDC, urged participants to let their dialogue be guided by wisdom, public interest, and a vision for future generations, emphasizing that their decisions will be crucial for Ethiopia's peace, democratization, and consensus.
Must ReadUS Ambassador to Ethiopia Ervin Massinga is in Mekelle for discussions with regional leaders and aid organizations. This visit occurs as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front TPLF stated the Pretoria Agreement, which concluded the two-year conflict in November 2022, is “effectively dead.” The TPLF also announced that Tigray’s self-reinstated political leaders would not attend the National Dialogue conference that began today in Addis Ababa. The US embassy indicated that Ambassador Massinga's visit aims to emphasize the critical need for open dialogue and the full implementation of the peace deal to avoid a return to conflict. The embassy statement highlighted that peace and stability enable communities to develop local capacity and move from emergency aid to long-term self-reliance. Last month, the US State Department imposed visa restrictions on hardline TPLF members and their immediate families due to increasing tensions in northern Ethiopia.
Must ReadThe National Bank of Ethiopia NBE plans to cease premium payments to gold suppliers by the end of 2026, according to a recent IMF document. This decision is part of a broader strategy to phase out direct involvement in the gold market, with a longer-term exit plan to be developed by December 2026. The NBE currently pays 5–15 percent above international prices for gold, which the IMF suggests contributes to the parallel market exchange rate. The IMF document also highlights that illicit gold trade fuels the parallel market, hindering efforts to unify official and parallel forex rates. Other factors contributing to persistent parallel market spreads include restrictions on forex access for current account transactions, high bank transaction costs, and the central bank’s forex commission. The IMF projects Ethiopia's strong export performance to continue into 2026/27, with coffee export revenues potentially reaching USD three billion despite a predicted 35 percent decline in international coffee prices since November 2025. The goods trade deficit is expected to narrow slightly to USD 12.6 billion, supported by high gold prices. However, the IMF warns that high fuel prices due to the US-Iran conflict and potential drops in international gold and coffee prices could strain reserves, complicating the goal of achieving 3.5 months of import coverage by the program's end in 2028. Current reserves cover an estimated 2.1 months of imports.