Ethiopian Premier League runner-up Fasil Ketema FC sailed through the next preliminary round stage of the 2022-23 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup while Kidus Giorgis FC, have failed to qualify for the Group stage of the African Champions League after losing to Al-Hilal Omdurman of Sudan.
Having won the first leg home match in an astonishing 3-0 score line, Fasil lost 1-0 in the away return leg thus made it into the second qualification match with 3-1 aggregate result.
With the Premier League season to kick-off next weekend, newly appointed Fasil Head Coach Hailu Negash appeared to be comfortable with his squad that brings together senior players with the newcomers. A Gambian custodian Gaira Juff between the woodwork, Aschalew Tamene leading the defense, Surafel Dagnachew orchestrating the mid field and new comer Tafesse Tesfaye already producing goals, Fasil Ketema is much expected to progress to the group stage at the Confederation Cup.
Despite the fact that the score is 2-2, the Sudanese side qualifies for the Groups Stages on the “away goal advantage.” Giorgis that won 2-1 at home a week ago lost 1-0 in Khartoum thus Hilal progressed to the next stage in away goal advantage. Following the heart breaking result, Ethiopian record champions Kidus Giorgis’ dream of returning to Champions’ League group stage failed to come true.
Many of the club’s supporters started questioning whether the country’s biggest and most popular side could stay strong despite the financial constraint the club faced since Board Chairman Abnet G/Meskel left the club’s main financer Midroc Ethiopia.

Ethiopian duo Milkesa Mengesha and Tadu Teshome took top honors at the much anticipated Copenhagen Half Marathon 2022. With 15 men finishing inside an hour at the World Athletics Elite Label road race, the event witnessed record depth.
Mengesha, the 2019 world U20 cross-country champion, beat a quality field to notch up his second half marathon victory of the year, winning in a PB of 58:58. Tadu, meanwhile, smashed her PB to lead an Ethiopian 1-2-3, winning in 1:06:13.
After a steady opening 5km of 14:02, the pace dropped slightly in the following few kilometers of the men’s race as the large lead pack reached 10km in 28:10. The leading contenders – which included Mengesha and his compatriots Amedework Walelegn and Chala Regasa, Kenya’s Felix Kipkoech, Vincent Kipkemoi and Edmund Kipngetich, and South Sudan’s Dominic Lobalu then started to increase the pace.
By the time of the 15km checkpoint, reached in 42:06, the lead pack was down to 12. They remained bunched together for a few more kilometers before Mengesha started to ease away, carving out a small lead before going on to win in 58:58. Compatriot Walelegn followed him home in 59:05, two seconds ahead of Kipkoech.
In contrast to the men’s race, which increased in pace as it went on, the women’s race started off remarkably quick but soon became a war of attrition as athletes tried to hold on as best they could.
When the first 5km was covered in a swift 15:19, most of the lead pack decided to ease off the pace, but TaduTeshome and Tsigie Gebreselama maintained that tempo for another 5km, reaching 10km in 30:40 inside both of their PBs for 10km.
Tsigie then broke away from Tadu and opened up a gap of 30 seconds by 15km, reached in 46:39, but it didn’t last. Tadu came back over the next few kilometers and caught her compatriot with about two kilometers to go.
Once she was in the lead, Tadu continued to pull away and she went on to win in 1:06:13, 22 seconds ahead of Tsigie, who was making her half marathon debut. Ethiopia’s Tiruye Mesfin almost caught Tsigie, eventually finishing third in 1:06:42.

One of the most wandering Ethiopian Premier League Coaches, Gebremedin Haile took over at newly promoted Ethiopia Medin while Degarege Yigzaw replaced the departing boss Abraham Meberatu at Baherdar Ketema.
Though a dispute had taken place between the outgoing and newly elected members of the sport club officials, Gebremedin Haile officially signed a two year contract on Wednesday. This is the second spell for the former national team and Kidus Giorgis popular player Gebremedin who turned Coach a dozen years back.
The recent time only Coach to win back to back Premier League titles with Jimma AbaJifar and Mekele Ketema, Gebremedin had served in more than ten clubs including Trans, Medin, Dedebit, Ethiopia Bunna and Sidama Bunna.
Gebremedin kicks-off his second term at Medin taking part in the ongoing Addis Ababa City Cup 15th edition.
Degearege Yigzaw’s appointment at Baherdar Ketema was the midweek sensation for the departing Coach Abraham Mebratu. The former Ethiopian and Yemeni national team Coach Abraham’s record at “The Blue Waves” was less than impressive for the club finishing 12th in the table just three points above relegation zone. Eight wins, eleven draws and eleven defeats many Baherdar team supporters were questioning the presence of Abraham in the new season.
Formerly with Amhara Water Works, Ethiopian Construction Works, Wolkite Ketema and Super League side Ethiopia NegedBank Coach Degarege stood first ahead of the three candidates including former Fasil Ketema Coach Seyoum Kebede and Mulugeta Meheret of Hadiya-Hossana. Degarege signed a two year contract and his first assignment is to lead the side in the coming Amhara Bank Tana Cup that brings together six sides including two foreign clubs.

Ethiopian Football Federation appointed Tadios Teklu as the head coach of Ethiopian U-17 national football team that will represent the country in CECAFA U17 championship to be held in Ethiopia-Addis Ababa from 1st October, 2022.
Tadios is the new face in the system and comes on board with experience of working with the under aged group of footballers since his days at Ethiopia Bunna.
A former Ethiopia Bunna Youth team player Tadios had had a flourishing career at the youth level. But a career obliterating injury while in action, he turned to coaching for the past five years and became one of the upcoming much talked about coaches.
Tadios will be deputized by Rahemeto Mohammed, the former head coach at Batu, Arsi-Negele and Mojo before helping Oromia U17 side to championship title.
Tadios’ second lieutenant is Abiy Kassahun who had served at three different Youth projects notably Assega, Passion and Haleta Academies. The humble and friendly Abiy made a name at the recently held Ethiopian U-17 tournament where he led Addis Ababa to third place.
The appointment comes on the back of his glorious moment when he recently won the Ethiopian Under-20 boys side in to National Championship title at Adama as head coach for Ethiopia NegedBank u-20 Ethiopian will host the East and Central Africa (CECAFA) Under 17 Championship in Addis Ababa latter this year. The winner of this competition will represent the sub-continent and guarantee participation at the Under 17 African Cup of Nations to be hosted by Algeria. Uganda is the reigning champions after defeating Tanzania in the final of the zonal qualifiers in 2022 played at Rwanda.