Ethiopia players respond to viral photo with cheeky goal celebration against Djibouti

Ethiopia players lift their shirts to celebrate during Monday's victory over Djibouti. Photo Credit: Ethiopian Football Federation

After hammering Djibouti 6-1 on Monday in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, Ethiopian players celebrated their fifth goal in a very different way.

Recent public outcry over the performance of the Waliyas caused fans on social media to question the physical appearance of team captain Aschalew Tamene during the 2-0 loss to group leaders Egypt in Casablanca.

Photoshopped image of Ethiopia captain Aschalew Tamene that went viral on Ethiopian social media.

A photoshopped image of Tamene went viral after the Egypt game on Friday. The center back downplayed claims that he has belly fat and told Seifu Show, a weekly Ethiopian TV show, that some unknown people photoshopped the image to change his physique.

During the Djibouti encounter, Ethiopian players responded and defended their captain on Monday after one of their six goals. The celebration occurred in the 58th minute after Abubeker Nassir completed his hat-trick to make it 5-1, after which he celebrated with Tamene and his colleagues by showing their bellies.

The situation provided some needed humor in Ethiopian football after a run of poor results from the national team.