Fasil Town and national team midfielder Surafel Dagnachew won Ethiopian Football federation Player of the Year award while Senaf Wakuma voted 2018/19 Best Women Player of the Year double accolade Phisio Yeshak Shiferaw received The Life Time Service award.
The rising star Surafel Dagnachew turned out the surprise winner for Best Player of the Year award ahead of the hot favorite Mekele star striker Amanuel G/Michael. The striker who helped Mekele win the league title scoring 18 goals Amanuel took “Top Scorers of the Year award. His team mate goalie Filhip Avono crowned Best Goalkeeper of the Year award while Gebremedin Haile received Best Coach of the Year accolade for the second year in a row.
In the women’s verse upcoming striker Senaf Wakuma claimed both the accolades; Best Player and Top Scorer of the Year awards. The fast forward striker bagged 21 goals to help Adama win its first ever Woman’s league title. Her Coach Samuel Abera and team mate Emewodesh Yergashewa named Best Coach and Best Goalie of the year respectively.
The play maker that steered Sebeta Town to promotion Getu H/Mariam crowned Best Player of Super league while ArbaMinch’s Sentayehu Mengestu and Jorge Desta of Ethiopia Medin named Top Scorer and Best Player of the Super league respectively.
The Coach who helped Sebeta Town in to promotion Kifle Boltena crowned Best Coach of the Super League ahead of Wolkite Town’s Dereje Belay and Girma Tadesse of Hadiya Hossana.
Surafel and Senaf win Players of the Year award
Meta Abo Brewery partners with Sebeta Ketema Football club
Meta Abo Brewery, a Diageo subsidiary, with senior executives from Sebeta Ketema Football club, announced they will be signing a contract for a sport sponsorship agreement with the football club at intercontinental hotel. At the press conference, the company’s Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Manager Dagmawi Shewangezaw said, “the sponsorship is part of our continuous support to the Sebeta community and the growth of sport in Ethiopia.” The sponsorship is worth a total amount of 18.5 million birr throughout a four-year contract. The first-year budget is 3.5 million birr, followed by 3 million birr on second year, third year 4 million birr and 4 million birr for the final year. Each year, Meta Abo brewery will also handover different fan club items which are then going to be sold by the club to further support the Sebeta ketema Football club and the fans. The in-kind support will also continue throughout the rest of the 3 years of sponsorship and is estimated to be 4 million birr. The first phase of the sponsorship will be invested on maintenance work of the club’s playing field. Meta Abo Brewery will ensure the field is maintained properly including the earthwork excavation, fertilizer placement, seeding and grass maintenance. Meta Abo Brewery’s Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Dagmawi, in his interview, said “As the Ethiopian Premier League has grown in popularity, we have been closely looking at the growing fan base, drive and passion that Ethiopian people have towards Football, and this is a good opportunity to support not only the Sebeta ketema Football Club but also the Ethiopian Premier League to the fulfillment and Joy of passionate supporters all over the country.”
The Sebeta Ketema Football Club Super Intendant, Behanu Bekele, said “the support of Meta Abo Brewery S.C. came just at the right time and, we believe, the sponsorship will help the team to grow and become a contender to the premier league title.” Meta beer is one of the most iconic brands in Ethiopia with great history and deep heritage around the Sebeta community. For years, the relationship the brand built with the community and the different community projects to give back to the society is something Meta is very proud of. The Water for Life project that provides clean water for all living around the brewery, the community School class room expansion, the road construction around the brewery and the shed construction to support the youth are some of the projects that are helping the brewery to further strength partnership with the community. The first phase of the renovation of the Club’s stadium has already started this month and is scheduled to be completed within two months.
Buckle up
Despite fewer vehicles in the road (about one million) road traffic accidents are the cause of significant loss of human and economic resources in Ethiopia. The Ministry of Transport with other partners held a month long awareness creation in different parts of the country to lower traffic related accidents. Yesterday, December 7, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonen and Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges (L), the Ministry held discussion with various stake holders on how to tackle the grave problem at the United Nation Conference Center.
Kindu Gezu to lead new navy
1,000 army officers sent to Russia for training
Brigadier General Kindu Gezu, who is leading the reestablishment process of the Ethiopian Naval Force, has been promoted to the rank of first chief commander of the army, which will be headquartered at the West Command of the Defense Force in Bahir Dar.
A reliable source said that Brigadier General Kindu would become the first head of the new navy.
Brigadier General Kindu is one of the 38 high-ranking military officers that former President Mulatu Teshome bestowed military ranks to in September 2016. He was one of the 25 army colonels promoted to the rank of Brigadier General at the time.
Sources said that he will lead the new army division from the base at West Command also known as ‘Mekod’ at Bahr Dar, the lakeside regional capital of Amhara Region.
Before coming to lead the re-formation of the navy Brigadier General Kindu led Hayelom Araya Military Academy and Staff College.
In the reborn of the Ethiopian navy, which is projected to become a strong force in the region, France is providing support including trainings for personnel.
Sources also stated that 1,000 army officers selected from different divisions of the army have been sent to Russia for naval training.
Rear Admiral Yehualashet Girma was the last commander of the navy before the downfall of the Derg Regime back in 1991. He served in the post from 1989 to 1991 after Rear Admiral Tesfaye Berhanu was imprisoned for his involvement in the 1989 coup.
Capital reported last week that Ethiopia has already decided to establish the navy in Djibouti, while in the future it might have more bases in the region.
Currently the formation process of the navy is underway in Addis Ababa. The leaders of the two countries Djibouti and Ethiopia have talked about establishing the base in Djibouti which hosts about six foreign forces including the USA, China, Japan, Italy and France.
Recent reports also wrote that Ethiopia is also seeking to purchase weapons worth more than 4 billion Euros from France on a long term credit basis.
The credit shopping list includes 12 combat aircraft, 18 helicopters, two Airbus manufactured military transport aircraft, 10 unmanned combat drones, electronic jamming system and 30 M51 missiles capable of hitting a target at 6000 kilometers.
