Two defeats followed by a home draw on Thursday; many Ethiopia Bunna supporters are rallying to pressure the club officials to sack Coach Kassaye Arage. “We are worried that the team could go down in to relegation and he could go back home and resume business as usual.” a veteran club supporter suggested after the frustrating draw against newly promoted visitors Wolkite Ketema.
Away goalless draw with Mekele followed by 2-1 home win over Hawassa, many supporters specially the young ones were convinced Kassaye’s dream of building an entertaining as well winning team was to come true. Considering the last two consecutive defeats including the 3-nil drubbing by Adama Thursday’s home fixture against Wolkite was much expected with Ethiopia Bunna to win and win real big both the visitors as well the heart broken supporters. But coming from behind to earn a hard fought home draw, the die-hard supporters raised voices against the camp that seriously advocating patience for Kassaye.
“I am not willing to watch Bunna relegated therefore the least I can do to save my beloved team is beg Kassaye to throw the towels in time so that others could have a chance to save it” Bunna supporter from downtown Nefas-Silk remarked.
Three wins four draws and six defeats Ethiopia Bunna is the drop zone with five points clear from bottom of the table Hadiya with nine points.
Neither a disciplined defense nor a strong strike force (bagging 17 while conceding 15) and add to that the little to impress midfield, I wonder what really is happening in Kassaye’s mind” one critic remarked. “I think there is a strong inside lobby group that stands behind Kassaye otherwise things would have never been like this among supporters” an angered supporter remarked.
Worst times are coming against Ethiopia Bunna
Coaches are under pressure for unpaid players’ salary
Bahirdar Ketema, Sehul Shere and Adama Ketema are teams that are full of complaints from players for a much overdue unpaid salary. Things appeared to get solution at both Sehul and Bahirdar but not yet with Adama whose players boycotted training sessions before last Tuesday’s away fixture against Sidama Bunna. It was not all about the 3-2 defeat to the hosts. But the Adama players’ morale sure to go down the drain recovering might turn out difficult.
Once Bahirdar Ketema denied the service of four foreign players thus conceded a horrific 3-0 defeat at the hands of regional rival Fasil Ketema. At the time the club manager Leul simply told reporters’ that the club deposited a two months overdue salary to the players’ accounts therefore business resumed as usual.
Leul failed to mention the implication of the players’ absence from games and the moral breakdown among them plus points missed in between that might cost the Coach’s job in due time. After all why the club does not pay the players’ salary on due date is the major question to be addressed but the manager simply sidestepped it.
Despite a much convincing 3-0 home win over Ethiopia Bunna, the team failed to keep its promise therefore the players along with their coach Ashnafi Bekele failed to appear for training ahead of Tuesday’s away match against Sidama Bunna which climaxed in a 3-2 away defeat.
The senior players are in demand of a four months overdue salary while the newly signed ones are insisting for two month salary. Adama is currently 12th in the table and for sure Coach Ashenafi Bekele to be blamed at the end of the season if the team goes down.
The same pressure was on Shere Enda-Selassie and Jimma AbaJifar with Samson Ayele and Paulos Getachew respectively blamed for the poor results because of the absence of the foreign players in quest of overdue salary. The overdue salary is for sure to be paid. But no one appeared to get worried about the results and consequences to be followed at the end of the season. What a messy situation?
The Emperors’ destroyer “Mujib Kasim”
Thanks to one of the most admired goal hunter discovered last season Mujib Kasim, the Gondor based side Fasil Ketema is flexing its muscle to rub shoulders with premier league strong title contenders. Mujib’s goals not only helping his side stay on course but also gave him the right to seat on top of the leading scorers’ chart a way ahead of his adversaries.
An average of one goal per game since the start of the new season, Mujib turned out the most valuable players of The Emperors. Two braids and a hat trick over Diredawa, Mujib scored 13 goals in 13 matches to become the front runner for the top scores’ accolade.
Mujib’s individual brilliancy at the goal mouth made him a one man strike force to Fasil banging in 13 of the 21 total goals tally plus four splendid assists; many suggested that the striker is the real game changer in Seyoum Kebede’s strike force.
According to some supporters that believe Coach Seyoum Kebede’s dependency on Mujib’s goals might not help the team one step up than last season when it finished runner-up to champions Mekele losing the crown at the final stages. “He needs to find an equally productive strike partner to Mujib. Otherwise things may go terrible for Seyoum even before the end of the season” suggested one supporter. “It is to Mujib and the home crowd that Fasil stands strong in the title race so far. Back from a famous away win over Mekele SebaEnderta last week means Seyoum’s away record is to stay strong in the second round” the supporter added.
Gudaf Tsegaye leads Ethiopian 1500m field for Torun
Organizers of the Copernicus Cup have assembled a high-quality field for the women’s 1500m at the World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting in Torun on 8 February.
With an outdoor PB of 3:54.38, world bronze medalist the 23 year-old Gudaf Tsegay is the fastest in the field. The Ethiopian, who also holds the world U20 indoor record at 4:01.81, will be competing in Torun for the first time.
Compatriot Habitam Alemu is no stranger to Torun as it is where she set indoor PBs of 1:59.49 for 800m and 4:05.51 for 1500m. Outdoors, she holds the Ethiopian 800m record of 1:56.71 and has a 1500m best of 4:01.41.
Fellow Ethiopian Axumawit Embaye will be seeking her first victory in Torun, following a runner-up spot in 2017 and a sixth-place finish in 2018. The 2014 world indoor silver medalist won the 1500m on the 2016 World Indoor Tour.
Like Tsegay, African champion Winny Chebet set her 1500m PB in last year’s World Championships final, clocking 3:58.20. Indoors, the 29-year-old Kenyan has a best of 4:05.81. Double world finalist Rababe Arafi will return to the scene of her 4:04.76 indoor PB, set when winning in Torun in 2018.
