Ethiopia's Walia Ibex Beat Malawi 1-0 and Face Them Again Today in Second Friendly
Addis Ababa, 9 June 2026
Ethiopia secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Malawi on 6 June 2026, with Fitsum Tilahun scoring in the first minute. A second fixture takes place today, 9 June 2026.
A First-Minute Strike Sets the Tone
It took just sixty seconds for Ethiopia to announce their intentions. Fitsum Tilahun’s first-minute strike on 6 June 2026 proved to be the decisive moment of the opening friendly, sealing a 1-0 victory for the Walia Ibex over Malawi at Dire Dawa National Stadium [1][2][3]. It was a goal that sent shockwaves through the Flames’ camp and one that — for the Ethiopian faithful following from afar — felt like a statement of intent. The Ethiopian Football Federation confirmed the full-time result via their official Instagram account, simply posting: “Full Time 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 1-0 Malawi 🇲🇼 — 1’ Fitsum Tilahun” [1]. Social media accounts tracking African football described it as “a narrow win for Ethiopia in a tight contest” [4], a characterisation that underlines just how hard-fought the result truly was.
The Numbers Behind Ethiopian Dominance
Ethiopia’s victory on 6 June 2026 was not an isolated result but part of a broader pattern of form. Prior to that fixture, the Walia Ibex had recorded 4 wins and 1 defeat across their last five matches [5], a run that speaks to a team building genuine momentum. Malawi, by contrast, arrived in Ethiopia carrying a difficult recent record: 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 defeats from their last five outings, and crucially, failing to score in their last two consecutive meetings with Ethiopia while conceding 2 goals across those fixtures [5]. Looking further back at the historical head-to-head record, Ethiopia holds a clear advantage, securing 2 wins from their last five meetings compared to Malawi’s 1, with 2 matches ending in draws [5]. For a team seeking to consolidate their continental credentials, these are precisely the conditions under which confidence is built.
Today’s Second Fixture: Addis Abeba Calls
With the first leg settled in Ethiopia’s favour, attention now turns firmly to the second and final friendly, scheduled for today — Tuesday, 9 June 2026 — at the Addis Abeba Stadium, with kick-off set for 15:00 local time [5]. The shift of venue from Dire Dawa to the capital brings with it a larger stage and, for the Walia Ibex, the unmistakable roar of a home crowd at the country’s most prominent footballing arena [GPT]. Betting markets, often a reliable barometer of form and expectation, favour an Ethiopian home win with odds of 2.55, while the “Both Teams to Not Score” market is priced at 1.75 [5] — a reflection of Malawi’s struggles in front of goal in recent encounters. Ethiopia are predicted to utilise their home advantage and strong defensive setup to claim a second successive victory [5]. Whether Tilahun or another of the Walia Ibex’s attackers can again find the net early remains to be seen, but the direction of travel is unmistakably positive.
Unity in the Camps: What These Matches Mean Beyond the Pitch
For tens of thousands of Ethiopians living in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee settlement in northern Kenya, fixtures like these carry a weight that transcends sport [GPT]. In communities where daily life presents profound challenges, the sight of the Walia Ibex competing on the continental stage — and winning — offers something rare and precious: a shared moment of national pride [GPT]. Residents have been reported to follow results closely through shared mobile data and community radio, gathering around community screens when access allows [alert! ‘This detail is drawn from the editorial brief provided and is not independently verified by an external cited source’]. Football, in this context, is not merely entertainment — it is a thread of continuity connecting displaced communities to a homeland that remains, in spirit, very much alive. As the second fixture kicks off today in Addis Abeba, those same communities will be listening, hoping, and celebrating each moment as their own.