Ethiopia’s Loza Abera emerged top scorer in Malta as she and Nigeria’s Esther Anu celebrated their first Maltese BOV Women’s Premier League title with Birkirkara.
The development comes on the decision of the Malta Football Federation (MFF) to prematurely terminate the 2019-20 football seasons due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The MFF disclosed ‘the first-place teams at the time when the competitions were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and subsequently terminated, are declared winners of their respective leagues (2019/20). This applies to these championships – BOV Premier League, BOV first division, BOV second division, BOV third division and BOV Women’s League.
“The Maltese teams who will be participating in the 2020-21 Uefa Club Competitions are Floriana FC (Uefa Champions League), Valletta FC, Hibernians FC and Sirens FC (Uefa Europa League), Birkirkara FC (Uefa Women’s Champions League) and Luxol Futsal (Uefa Futsal Champions League).”
This means the Birkirkara produced a five-star performance to finish the 2019-20 season in style, with 37 points from 13 matches, and complete an entire campaign unbeaten for the third time in the last four seasons, scoring 76 goals and conceding just eight.
The title triumph is the first top-flight league success for Losa and Anu in Europe and the second silverware for the duo after the Maltese Women’s Super Cup win in December.
Losa, who joined the Maltese club from Ethiopian side Adama City last September, scored 30 goals in 12 outings to emerge as the league’s top scorer, finishing seven goals ahead of closest challenger Bugeja Haley of Mgarr United.
The 22-year-old has now won her second league title in Europe, with her first the Swedish Elitettan crown in the colors of Kungsbacka DFF in 2018 which she scored three goals in eight games to power her side to the Damallsvenskan for the first time.
Before joining for Melania Bajada’s team, the striker had returned home from Sweden to help Adama City to win its first-ever Ethiopia Women’s Premier League title and won top scorer for the fourth time, scoring 18 goals despite joining in the mid-season.
Besides being crowned the Malta top-flight champions for a record ninth time, Birkirkara will represent the country in the Uefa Women’s Champions League next year.
Losa 1st ever Ethiopian @ UEFA Women’s Champions League
The 124th Boston Marathon will be held virtually
The 124th Boston Marathon has been cancelled as an in-person race and will instead be held as a virtual event in September.
The historic marathon, which traditionally takes place on Patriots’ Day, had previously postponed from April 20 to September 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Held annually since 1897, it is the first time the race has ever been cancelled.
“Our top priority continues to be safeguarding the health of the community, as well as our staff, participants, volunteers, spectators, and supporters,” said Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) CEO Tom Grilk. “While we cannot bring the world to Boston in September, we plan to bring Boston to the world for an historic 124th Boston Marathon.”
In a statement on Twitter, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said: “The B.A.A., with our input and support, has determined that the traditional, one-day running of the 124th Boston Marathon is not feasible this year, for public health reasons.
“While our goal and our hope is to make progress in containing the virus and recovering our economy, this kind of event would not be responsible or realistic on September 14 or any time this year.”
All participants originally registered for the April 20 event will be offered a refund of their entry fee and and will be able to use their qualifying time for 2021 Boston Marathon registration. They will also have the opportunity to take part in the virtual alternative, which can be run any time between September 7-14. The B.A.A. 5K scheduled for September 12 has also been cancelled.
The Tokyo Marathon on March 1 did not include the mass race, with only elite action taking place. Around 38,000 participants had been expected to take part.
Electric FC’s all-time greatest Footballer Fekade Muleta died
Electric Football Club all-time greatest players Fekadu Muleta passed away Monday after a short illness. Dubbed Ethiopian George Best after his contemporary world football genius and Manchester United legend, Fekadu is said one of the most talented dribblers ever in Ethiopian Football.
Fekade who played his entire career with Electric Football Club donning the famous Red stripes jersey, is the most popular Footballer of the 60 year-old club with three knockout championship trophies under his belt and being member of the 10th African Cup of nations squad.
Though considered by many Electric’s all-time greatest footballers, Fekade’s carrier as Coach was minimal never to go past assistant to legendary Coach Mengistu Worku then nearly a decade working on the club’s youth teams.
“An incredible balance of a tightrope walker, a boxer’s courage, prodigious ability in dribbling and an unshakeable belief in his abilities I have never encounter a player single handedly entertain fans to the limit like Fekade Muleta” the late national team legendary defender Tesfaye Seyoum (Wello) once told his admirers about the diminutive dribbler Fekade who once been Guest of Honor at North America Ethiopian Annual Sports festival. “Had he been a Saint George player undoubtedly he would have been treated a royalty at Ethiopian Football” remarked Dawit Belay.
Angolan side confirmed for African Confederation Cup
Sagrada Esperança are to take up the last of Angola’s places in next season’s African Confederation Cup after InterClube decided they would not participate, the Angolan Football Federation said on Tuesday.
There was to be a draw between the two clubs to determine who would participate but this is no longer necessary, the federation added.
Angola’s season was brought to a premature close in March because of the coronavirus crisis with both clubs chasing places in the Taca Angola (Angolan Cup) final.
Sagrada Esperança defeated InterClube 3-1 in the first leg of the semifinal in Lunda Norte, but the second leg never took place because of the lockdown.
The season in Angola was cancelled last month and Petro Atletico declared champions, even though there were still six rounds left to play.
Petro will participate in next season’s Champions League along with runners-up Primeiro Agosto while third placed Bravos do Maquis go to the Confederation Cup winner. The other placed was reserved for the Angolan Cup winner. The other semifinal was between Primeiro Agosto and Bravos do Maquis – both already qualified for continental club competition.
Sagrada, who were Angolan champions in 2005 and won the cup in 1988 and 1999, have already participated in the Confederation Cup on three occasions – in 1992, 1998 and 2016 when they reached the quarterfinals.
