Ethiopia and Djibouti lock horns at the Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium in neutral Morocco on Monday for their clash in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Both teams are searching for their first win of the campaign.
Ethiopia have only three points in the bag from five games, courtesy of draws to Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Djibouti. Burkina Faso and Egypt have got the better of them, with the latter picking up a 2-0 win earlier this week.
With five more games left, the Walia Ibex have the chance to turn things around and get their qualifying campaign back on track. Ranked 146th in the world, the East African side have never qualified for the World Cup before.
On the other hand, Djibouti are in a worse position. Accruing only a point, the Shoremen of the Red Sea are at the bottom of Group A in sixth place, just behind Ethiopia, who are in fifth.
After starting their campaign with three consecutive defeats, Abdourahman Okie Hadi's side got their first point across the board on matchday four. They managed to hold Ethiopia to a 1-1 draw, but fell to a fourth defeat earlier this week as Burkina Faso crushed them 4-1.
Ethiopia vs Djibouti Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- There have been 17 clashes between the sides in the past and, interestingly, Djibouti have never beaten Ethiopia before, drawing twice and losing 15 times.
- Their 1-1 draw in June last year ended a run of nine consecutive defeats for Djibouti in the fixture.
- Since the start of 2024, the Shoremen of the Red Sea have won just once: a 1-0 win over Rwanda in the 2024 African Nations Championship.
- Ethiopia have lost five of their last six official matches, with the 2-1 win over DR Congo being the only favorable result during this run.
- The Walia Ibex are ranked 146th in the world, while Djibouti are 45 places below them, according to the latest FIFA World Ranking.
Ethiopia vs Djibouti Prediction
The Walia Ibex have an incredible record in the fixture, having never lost to Djibouti before. They can be excused for feeling confident of their chances here.
A first win of the World Cup qualifying campaign appears to be on the cards for them.
Prediction: Ethiopia 2-0 Djibouti
Ethiopia vs Djibouti Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Ethiopia to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No