Tesfaye was born and raised in the city of Dire Dawa in the eastern part of Ethiopia.
He later moved to the capital, Addis Ababa, in 1986 to continue his footballing career with Saint George.
Tesfaye initially started on the B team of Saint George before shortly working his way into the senior side.
This he achieved against Seychelles side St. Michel United FC in the CAF Champions League, a record which holds to date.
After playing a pick-up game with friends, Tesfaye was found collapsed in the shower and rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.