Ethiopia plays World Cup qualifiers in Morocco due to bans

Ethiopia is playing its FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier home games in Morocco. Usually, Ethiopia hosts matches in its own country, specifically at the Addis Ababa National Stadium and other venues like Bahir Dar and Dire Dawa Stadiums. On Friday, Ethiopia will face Egypt in a match in Casablanca. Egypt currently leads Group A in the qualifiers with 10 points. Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso follow, while Ethiopia sits in fifth place with just three points. The reason Ethiopia is not playing at home is due to a ban from the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Since 2021, CAF has prohibited 17 national teams from using their home stadiums because they did not meet required standards. Issues included poor field conditions, inadequate facilities, and insufficient seating. As a result, Ethiopia will continue its qualifying matches at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Morocco instead of its own stadiums.