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A dominant 4-0 win over Rwanda at Bahir Dar Stadium seals an 8-0 aggregate victory as Ethiopia eyes the next round clash against either Tanzania or Eritrea
Ethiopia’s U-20 women’s national football team has advanced to the second round of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers after an impressive win over Rwanda.
The Ethiopian side secured their spot by defeating Rwanda 4-0 in the second leg match played on Sunday afternoon at Bahir Dar Stadium. With this victory, Ethiopia completed the tie with a dominant 8-0 aggregate score, having already won the first leg 4-0 away in Kigali.
In front of a supportive home crowd, Ethiopia came out strong and took control of the game early. Mesay Temesgen opened the scoring, giving the hosts a perfect start. Shortly after, Tourist Lemma added a second goal, allowing Ethiopia to head into the halftime break with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
The second half saw Ethiopia continue to apply pressure on the Rwandan defense. Forward Aregash Kalsa stepped up with two goals of her own, sealing the victory and completing a memorable brace. The team showed confidence, skill, and determination throughout the match, leaving no room for Rwanda to mount a comeback.
With this win, Ethiopia now advances to the second round of the qualifiers. They will face the winner of the match between Tanzania and Eritrea, who are yet to complete their tie. The Ethiopians will be watching closely to see which team they will be up against next.
The qualifiers are part of the journey to the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted in Costa Rica. Teams from all over Africa are competing for just two spots available in the final tournament.
Elsewhere in the Central and East African region, commonly known as CECAFA, several other teams are also in the race for qualification. Burundi will take on Namibia in their second leg match later this week in Johannesburg, South Africa. Burundi already has a strong advantage after winning the first leg 3-0.
Uganda is also well-positioned to advance. They beat Kenya 7-2 in the first leg played in Nairobi. The return leg is set to take place at the St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende on Friday, and the Ugandan team is hopeful of confirming their qualification.
The qualifying process is divided into several stages. After the second round, the successful teams will move on to the third round. A total of eight teams will make it through to that stage. From there, the competition gets even tougher as they aim to reach the final round. In the end, only the two best teams from Africa will earn a spot in the prestigious FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
Ethiopia’s performance so far has been impressive. With a strong defense and a sharp attack, they have shown they are serious contenders in this campaign. Their dominant display against Rwanda sends a strong message to their future opponents.
As the journey continues, the Ethiopian team will now focus on preparing for their next challenge. With the support of their fans and continued hard work, they hope to take one step closer to representing Africa on the world stage.