The 60 year old Electric FC is said to be in a dangerous cross road of losing its existence unless otherwise an immediate action is taken by the Board of directors that comprised of the two institutions that are Ethio-Electric Power and Electric Utility. In his brief stay with ETV sport program Hailu Woldu stated that the club participating in the 32 sides Ethiopian Super League since three years is in critical situation for there appears no one is responsible for what is going within the club despite an annual budget of nearly one hundred million Birr.
Former Electric player, currently an administrative manager at Electric Utility who is running for Addis Ababa Football Federation Executive body told ETV sport that the current situation is part of the partition of the giant Power Corporation in to two different government institutions: Power and Utility.
According to Hailu both Chief Executives are enthusiastic in supporting the club pumping in more than 80 million Birr annual budget. But the once famous football club is struggling to survive due to lack of proper guidance from the board of directors dominated by individuals from the Utility. “Major decisions are taken without the knowledge of the full Board members” Hailu remarked.
Insiders disclosed that the chairman of the board of directors and Utility Human Resource Executive Essayas Dembel has submitted his resignation amidst a corruption probe by internal audit. “I am not sure but I heard Essayas is no more active in the decision making” Hailu stated in his interview.” There are so many actors surrounding the club administration pocketing good salary and yet it is ruining day after day” Hailu added.
Sacking the first team coach Anwar Yasin following a huge rejection from club supporters for poor results, former player turned Coach Gulelat Ferde named a makeshift coach for the club ten points behind the group top spot.
“Ethio-Electric club is in dangerous cross road” Hailu Woldu
Kenenisa breaks Mo Farah’s course record
Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele broke Mo Farah’s course record in the men’s Vitality Big Half race in London with a time of one hour and 22 seconds.
Kenenisa shaved 1:18 minutes off the record set in 2019 by Briton Farah, who missed out with an Achilles injury. Britain’s Lily Partridge won the elite women’s race for the first time with a time of 1:10:50. Kenenisa’s victory sets up an exciting head-to-battle with Eliud Kipchoge, as the two fastest marathon runners of all time line up for April’s race.
“The new course record is a great bonus. I wasn’t focused on time today, I just wanted to win,” said Kenenisa Bekele. “I’m on schedule in my preparation for the London Marathon in April. There’s no question about the crowds in London being great.
“They were cheering all around the course and it felt like a great place to be.”
Britain’s Christopher Thompson finished second in the men’s race, with Jake Smith in third. The full London marathon will take place on Sunday, 26 April.
Partridge – running in her third London half-marathon – cruised to victory in the women’s race. Her compatriots Samantha Harrison and Stephanie Davis finished second and third respectively. “My coach said to me before the start that the goal was to win,” said Partridge. “It wasn’t about the time today. It’s my fastest ever half marathon during a marathon build-up.”
What a nightmarish 2020 first round for EPL Coaches
2020 Ethiopian premier League season first round turned out a nightmare for Coaches that six out of the sixteen pushed into unemployment. Sehul-Shere’s Samson Ayela and Hawassa’s Adise Kassa are the latest to part their ways.
Wolayta Dicha’s Gebrekristos Birara was the first to get axed just eight matches in to the season. A single win, three draws and four defeats Wolayta was bottom of the table with six points when the club decided to fire him. Five wins and two defeats in seven consecutive fixtures under care taker Coach Delelegn Dechasa , Wolayta proved very right kicking out Gebrekristos who took over the side at the end of last season amidst strong opposition from supporters.
Despite signing number of big name players including Elias Mamo and five foreign footballers, Simon Abay failed to deliver what was expected of him thus Diredawa Ketema thrown him out of the window before the end of the first round. 14th in the table with 17 points, Diredawa faces a slippery high hill to mount in order to stay at the top tier.
Hadiya Hossana’s once famous Coach Girma Tadesse sacked before the end of the first round. Although many praised Girma for his achievement at Super League, he failed to make a difference at the upper tier thus sacked after 11 matches in to the season. Tsegaye K/Mariam, Hossana still stays bottom of the table with 13 points.
A hard to understand development within the club Welwalo slipped in to havoc with six defeats and two draws that climaxed in Yohansse’s resignation. Welwalo is 15th in the table with 16 points.
Although it recovered in time to catch up with the leaders, Sehul-Shere Coach Samson Ayele resigned. Despite finishing 8th with 21 points, Samson is said to be frustrated in the club administration’s failure to come in to terms with the players.
Hawassa’s Addise Kassa is the other Coach booted out of the hot seat after finishing 6th with 22 with 19 points. It is more about the playing style than the result Addise pushed off the chair following supporters’ strong opposition.
Delelegn handed permanent contract while Tsegaye signed trios
Wolayta-Dicha signed care taker Coach Delelegn Dechasa in a permanent base following his dream success in replacing ill-fated Gebrekristos Birara. Tsegaye Kidanemariam’s signing spree gets momentum already signing two veterans and a striker from Ivory Coast.
Five wins and two defeats in seven matches to shoot up Dicha from relegation zone to seventh in the league table, Delelegn won the admiration of club officials to get away with a one year contract and full promise to help him strengthen his squad with additional fire power. “Delelegn has done a great gob and he deserves more than that” one of the senior players remarked.
In the meantime bottom of the table Hadiya-Hossana’s newly appointed Coach Tsegaye K/Mariam signed three players in three days’ time. With the premier league season suspended for two weeks, Tsegaye is expected to sign not less than half a dozen players most of them that served under him in previous clubs.
Eleven goals in half season last year Ivorian striker Salif Fofana is Tsegaye’s first signer followed by former St George, Woldya and Dicha mid fielder Tesfaye Alebachew and former Harar Birra, Ethiopia NegedBank and Welwalo defender Binyam Siraj.
Tsegaye’s move of signing veteran war horses shows that his priority is about surviving the team from relegation. Critics suggested that Tsegaye has done good job signing the two old hands for surviving at the top tier needs experienced warriors.
Tsegaye’s an impressive record shows that his previous two clubs Ethiopia NegedBank and Arbaminch Ketema relegated.
