The Premier League season’s curtain raiser features an Ethiopian Super Cup showdown brings together defending champions Mekele 70 Enderta to a head on clash against knockout holders Fasil Town.
The on-off Super Cup was almost forgotten as the federation was busy throwing punches here and there so the news that it takes the stage on the first week of November made the sport family all the happier.
The defending champion 70Enderta is the clear favorite to take home the coveted trophy for the first time in the club’s history. Coach Gebremedin Haile in his second season with the team and retaining most of his squad member. The absence of last year premier league top scorer Amamuel G/Kidan for national duty is felt little for the Nigerian striker Okiki Afolabi is back to join his former boss at AbaJifar. The 70Enderta are expected to be the stronger side thus clear favorite to take back home the coveted trophy for the first time in the club’s history.
Although many football fans didn’t agree Seyoum Kebede’s arrival to Gondar in replacement of popular Coach Wubetu Abate, he was the boss who masterminded last season double with Mekelakya including the Super Cup defeating AbaJifar in a penalty shootout.
Joining Fasil earlier, Seyoum had involved in every one of the players’ transfer therefore under obligation of a win to show off his handywork.
The absence of his number one striker Mujib Kasim is a big loss to his side but he is expected to give a tryout for the new faces in the squad.
The season’s first clash takes place in Addis Ababa on the 4th of November.
Mekele 70 Enderta faces Fasil Town in Super Cup
Taye, Fantu beat Changzhou half marathon record
Both men’s and women’s course records were broken at the Changzhou West Taihu Lake Half Marathon, as Taye Girma retained his title and fellow Ethiopian Fantu Jimma claimed victory in the women’s race at the IAAF Bronze Label event.
The top three finishers all beat the course record of 1:03:04 set last year by Girma in the south-eastern Chinese city. The 23-year-old emerged triumphant from a three-man battle and created a decisive lead in the last 400 meters to break the tape in 1:02:45.
Abdi Fufa, 24, lagged one second behind to take second place in 1:02:46, trimming 11 seconds off his personal best set three years ago in Barcelona. Asefa Tefera, the fastest entrant on paper with a PB of 1:00:07, finished third in 1:02:49 to complete the podium sweep for Ethiopia.
The women’s race also saw an Ethiopian podium sweep. It’s the first time in the six-year history of the event that all podium places in both races were claimed by Ethiopian athletes.
The 32-year-old Fantu a 2:26:14 marathon performer broke away from Etagegn Woldu in the last 200 meters to take the victory in 1:11:46, shattering the course record of 1:12:48 set by her compatriot Zenebu Fikadu in 2018.
Woldu, whose career-best time of 1:09:22 was set last year in Istanbul, finished second in 1:11:53.
Zinash Mekonnen, who stayed in the leading pack for most of the race but had to quit the title contest after 18km, settled for third place in 1:12:07, which is more than three minutes shy of her life-time best mark of 1:08:30 achieved last March in Valencia.
Ethiopian Premier League kicks-off in November
The 2019 Ethiopian Premier League season is set to kick off on November 16, featuring 16 sides in two rounds of fixtures. Mekele 70 Enderta is the defending champion while Sebeta Town, Hadiya-Hossana and Wolkite Town are the newly promoted sides replacing the relegated three: Mekelakeya, Debub Police and Dedebit.
As usual since the past few years Debub region is dominating the upper tier boasting five of the 16 top tiers teams. Twice former champion Hawassa, last season runner up Sidama Bunna, relegation survival Wolayta-Dicha, back to the top tier Hossana and new comer Wolkite Town are the teams that represent Southern region
Used to be home to more than half of the premier league sides Addis Ababa is pruned in to only two teams’ popular sides Saint George and Ethiopia Bunna.
Though once the country’s football creams Mekelakeya, Electric and Ethiopia Medin are camping at the lower league, Addis Ababa Football Federation appeared to have oblivious of the situation.
Mekele region fields three teams including the defending champion 70 Enderta. The side that signed the highest number of players for the new season Welwalo Adigrat and Shere-Endaselasse are representatives of the Semen Mountains.
Former champions Jimma AbaJifar, back to the top tier Sebeta Town and Adama Town are the flag ships of Oromiya region.
Amhara region has thrown two teams in to the pool, which brings together 16 teams. Knock out holders Fasil Town and nick named the Blue-Waves Baherdar Town are representing Amhara while Diredawa Town stands alone as the only representative of Eastern Ethiopia football.
Although this is the first time in recent years for the season to start so late, the newly formed League Committee suggested the fixtures will come to an end in good time before the start of the winter in June 2020.
Unity Park
The five billion birr Unity Park was inaugurated in the presence of head of governments of the region at a ceremony held at the historical mansion of Atse Minilik II on October 10, 2019.
