Diaspora scouting plan presented to EFF- Proposal calls for elite U17 camp for European-based talent
The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) is preparing to launch a new long-term diaspora talent program aimed at bringing football players of Ethiopian heritage living abroad into the fold of the national team system, according to a proposal from the federation’s Head of International Scouting, David Beshah.
The initiative, called the EFF Diaspora Elite Football Program, is designed as a permanent addition to Ethiopia’s football development strategy rather than a one-time event. Its first concrete step will be the EFF Diaspora U17 Elite Camp, a four-day gathering that will bring together around 15 selected players of Ethiopian descent from across Europe, run by official EFF coaching staff.
The program taps into a strategy that has already paid off for a number of national federations across Africa. In recent years, several countries have strengthened their senior national teams by building structured pipelines to identify diaspora talent early, build relationships with players and their families, and create a clear route into the national setup. EFF is positioning this camp as Ethiopia’s entry into that same playbook.
According to the proposal, the U17 camp has five goals: find promising Ethiopian-heritage players in Europe, introduce them to the federation and the national team environment, give EFF coaches a firsthand look at each player’s technical, tactical, physical and personal qualities, build stronger ties between diaspora families and Ethiopian football, and start a long-term database of diaspora talent that can inform future national team planning.
The very big concern of the plan is player eligibility for national team selection has not yet been resolved. The proposal is aware about this, framing the camp as groundwork rather than a finished pathway. The idea is to identify and build relationships with players now, so that Ethiopia is ready to move quickly once the eligibility framework is resolved.
Financially, the program is designed to run on commercial sponsorships and strategic partnerships rather than federation funds. EFF itself is not being asked to pay for the program. Instead, the ask is for a signed Letter of Support — an official endorsement the organizers say will help them approach sponsors and partners with more credibility.
If the pilot camp goes ahead, EFF says the program is meant to grow well beyond its first cohort by expanding to additional youth age groups, into women’s football, and eventually into a parallel diaspora initiative targeting Ethiopian communities in North America.For now, the U17 camp represents a low-risk first test: a small group of players, a short camp, and a federation endorsement rather than a financial commitment with the bigger diaspora strategy hinging on how that pilot, and the eligibility talks running alongside it, play out.
Further discussions on this proposal will commence this week. According to David Besash, early feedback from the federation is positive and he hopes to strengthen this support through upcoming discussions.
