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Addis Ababa Reflection: Football, Partnerships and Bringing Nations Together
- Mark Hayes
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Ethiopia: A Place That Continues to Surprise Me
June 2026
I write this nearly a week after returning from another fabulous trip to the amazing place that is Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. As a child, Ethiopia was sadly labelled with the poor narrative of being the "bottom of the world", and I guess many people still carry that perception today. But you really could not be further from the truth.
The way the city has progressed physically over the last couple of years is simply astonishing. It is vibrant, buzzing, colourful, and filled with an incredible warmth and sense of togetherness.
What is beautiful about the country, though, is that people are willing to put their hand up when support is needed. Behind the progress, there are still areas that require help, and that is where Football for Humanity comes in.
What makes this even more remarkable is that everything you are about to read took place in the space of just one week. From national television broadcasts and diplomatic engagements to safeguarding programmes, referee development, academy visits and community outreach, the scale of activity demonstrates what is possible when local leaders, international partners and football itself come together with a shared purpose.
She Wins and Expanding Our Impact
When we attended in November 2025, we achieved huge results, with 31 media outlets engaged and over 10,000 people reached through our work alongside the Emmerson Boyce Foundation. This time around, Emmerson then reunited with the She Wins group from November, and amazingly, all 48 participants we left eight months ago were the exact same 48 who returned. That is a remarkable 100% retention rate and an incredible indicator of impact.
During that visit, the Ethiopian Football Federation also asked for support in refereeing. So, not only did we return for She Wins Part 2, but we also launched a brand-new referee programme with FA Tutor Gordon Johnson called REFS, the Referee Excellence Foundation Scheme.
A World Cup Celebration Like No Other
As with our first visit, when we brought a replica FA Cup, we returned this time with a replica World Cup, and boy, did they celebrate it! We took part in many events with the trophy, from Hagerie TV's opening live broadcast to an open-top bus tour of the city. We were even welcomed at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, where every employee from their 48-storey building gathered at reception alongside their CEO and a DJ to greet us.
Simply amazing times, unforgettable togetherness, and memories for life.
Hagerie TV, for the first time ever in Ethiopia, offered free access for people to watch the FIFA World Cup. It was an incredible commitment, and it was an honour to be guests and speak live to the nation on their opening World Cup show.
Our World Cup invitations continued that evening as guests of the Mexican Embassy at their opening event for Mexico's FIFA 2026 World Cup opener against South Africa. The atmosphere was electric, and it was a true honour to attend alongside so many embassy leaders and staff.
REFS: Building Ethiopia's Referee Pathway
After all things World Cup, we got to work.
Some 10-minute journey just down the road, good friend and now Football for Humanity associate Gordon Johnson opened our REFS training.
From the outset, it was clear that there is very little structure currently in place. Whilst that presents challenges for both the country and the federation, it also presents an opportunity. We have the chance to strip things back and build a structure that will not only improve current referees but also help attract future ones.
Twenty lead referees attended from across Ethiopia, representing 20 different cities. The model is simple: develop lead trainers who can return home and become trainers of trainers themselves.
The impact was huge and the engagement faultless.
The REFS programme will now be adapted and tailored to the Ethiopian game, and we will return soon to deliver the full module.
Fortunate FC: A Remarkable Example of Structure and Belonging
In the middle of the week, we had the great joy of visiting the Academy of Fortunate FC, led and founded by one of the She Wins participants, Abaynesh Aragaw.
There are moments during a trip that stay with you forever, and this was certainly one of them. After watching the Fortunate FC first team narrowly miss out on promotion, we headed to the home of Fortunate. What we were met with simply left us speechless.
More than 400 children, all proudly wearing their green and blue colours, coaches beaming in orange, and goalkeepers fully immersed in training in their purple kit. I swear, not even at some English Premier League clubs do you see sights like this, not only from a visual perspective, but also in terms of structure, discipline, and respect.
Everyone had their own welcoming routines, club shout-outs, and there was positive energy everywhere. It was astonishing.
Fortunate FC is one of the teams from Ethiopia proudly coming to the UK this July to compete in my SMS7V7 tournament, an international event that truly brings nations together. We have teams flying in from the USA, Jamaica, South Africa, and, very humbly, Ethiopia too.
Janmeda: A Community Space That Needs Support
At the other end of the city, we also visited Janmeda, the biggest open sports field in Addis, proudly overseen by Gosseye, but an extremely run-down place that needs support. Since our visit in November, UNICEF has introduced livestock and water stations, and I was able to bring kit gifted by the Liverpool Football Foundation.
Sion Academy: A Story That Captured Millions
The second Ethiopian team travelling is Sion Academy, so we headed across the city to meet them, and what a story that turned out to be.
One of their players, Amen, has gone viral. TikToker Dylan Page showcased Amen asking for a UK trial, and the video reached 3.3 million views.
Amazingly, Amen is now part of the Sion Academy team travelling to the UK in July. We had the pleasure of meeting his parents, siblings, and coaches, and we simply cannot wait for the SMS7V7 competition to take place.
Although we should not have favourites, my heart will definitely be shouting for our Ethiopian friends to do well.
Diplomatic Cup: The True Winner Was Humanity
Our week wrapped up with our attendance at the Diplomatic Cup, immaculately organised and delivered by our close friend Sirgut from the British Embassy.
As with all 'friendly' tournaments, the desire to win quickly takes over, and it became an amazing spectacle, from the quality on the pitch to the culture pouring out from the crowd. The competition featured 26 teams, including numerous embassies competing against one another, with ICS School ultimately crowned champions.
However, the true winner was humanity itself, perfectly fitting our tagline of bringing nations together.
Closing Reflection
One thing that continues to excite me is not simply the delivery of programmes, but the partnerships that are being formed. Relationships with the Ethiopian Football Federation, local academies, diplomatic networks and international partners continue to grow, creating sustainable pathways in safeguarding, refereeing, youth development and cultural exchange.
It genuinely feels like we are moving beyond projects and towards something much bigger: a long-term ecosystem built on trust, collaboration and shared purpose.
Ethiopia, once again, you have my heart.
Ameseginalehu.
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