The Ethiopian Football Federation announced a new format bringing together twenty-four sides into two groups. The Addis Ababa clubs have asked for clarification from the federation.
The announcement from the federation renowned for its inefficiency and lack of knowledgeable individuals among its executive members, is considered a desperate move to win a yes vote in the coming National General Assembly to be held at the end of this month.
According to the announcement the 16 Premier League sides including the three relegated sides, the newly promoted three sides from the Super League, the runner-ups of the three groups and the best two of the three third place finishers, a total of twenty-four teams are members of the league season. Two groups each having twelve sides will have a two round tournament then the top four finishers from each group will have a knock out play-off to decide the ultimate title winner.
If the new format wins a majority vote in the coming National Assembly, Addis Ababa will be represented by five sides including Medin and ECOSCO, Amhara to stick with the two already in the top tier, Tigray with four including relegated Dedebit, the southern region with seven and Oromia having five teams under its wing.
Critics suggested that the move is a desperate action from the federation that is under heavy pressure from all sides for its inefficiency. “It is just like a political campaign to win the backing of Super League sides at the cost of the country’s football that is already on the death bed,” one critic underlined.
Assuming the new format is approved by the majority vote at the coming National General Assembly, the league season is expected to kick-off at the end of October or first week of November 2019.
New format for next year
Kenenisa Bekele added to Berlin Marathon field
Organisers of the BMW Berlin Marathon have announced that Kenenisa Bekele has joined a loaded men’s field for the IAAF Gold Label road race on 29 September.
Bekele is one of the greatest distance runners of all time. Along with his three Olympic gold medals, he has amassed 17 world titles on the track, indoors and outdoors, and cross country. His world records for 5000m and 10,000m have stood for 15 years.
He stepped up to the marathon in 2014 and set a course record of 2:05:04 in Paris on his debut at the distance. He set a personal best of 2:03:03 – which, at the time, was an Ethiopian record and just six seconds off the then world record – when winning the Berlin Marathon in 2016.
On 29 September he will line up against compatriots Guye Adola, Leul Gebrselassie, Sisay Lemma and Birhanu Legese in what looks set to be another memorable race in the German capital.
Kenenisa won the 2016 Berlin Marathon in a time of 2:03:03 which set a new personal best time for him at the Marathon distance and the second fastest marathon of all time. However in 2017, attempting to break the world record, Kenenisa dropped out of the Dubai Marathon after the half way mark due to a fall at the beginning of the race. Back to half form Kenenisa finished second in the 2017 London Marathon finishing in 2:05:57, 9 seconds behind winner Daniel Wanjiru. Once again in the lineup he finished sixth in 2018 London where Eliud Kipchoge won in 2:04:17. Kenenisa Bekele also ran the Amsterdam marathon in October 2018, but dropped out with about a mile or 1 km to go.
Gebremedhin stays at champions Mekele
The first ever Ethiopian Premier League back to back title champions with two different clubs, Gebremedin Haile changed his mind to stay with defending champions Mekele Town.
Gebre’s resignation letter less than a week after the team’s expulsion from Champions League preliminary round was a shocking surprise to football fans. But having a long discussion over the matter and a promise to fulfill his requirements he retracted his resignation letter on Thursday.
Though early elimination from international fixtures is common among Ethiopian Premier League sides, Mekele Town supporters are said to be intolerant of the defeat at the hands of Kano Sport Academy of Equatorial Guinea.
The 3-1 aggregate score line turned out a frustrating incident for supporters thus tried a protest showoff.
“I believe it is about small number of fans who tried to antagonize me. Anyways things are back to business as usual therefore we will soon to kick-start the preseason” Gebremedin told after a thorough discussion with the club officials.
But fans that have different opinion stated that Gebre was just making a ground work for future complaints if he failed to defend the title.”This is Gebre all through his coaching carrier. He always looks for something to finger for anything goes wrong” a fan from Mekele Town remarked. “ The stake holders are fully committed to help Mekele deafened the Premier League title as well going a big forward step at international arena” the fan added.
Abraham lead Waliya in to World Cup group qualification
A decisive away draw in the twenty thousand sitter stadium in Maseru, Abraham Mebratu’s Waliya booked a place in 2020 World Cup African nations qualification group stage. “I am very proud of my squad members for their composure under such suffocating pressure,” national boss Abraham Mebratu stated to reporters.
Considering the first leg goal less home draw at Baherdar Stadium, few expected the Waliyas would progress to the group stage. But a heroic performance that goes along with tactical discipline, Ethiopia is now among the forty nations anxiously waiting for the group draw.
It took 53 minutes to break the dead lock for the Ethiopian side that fully dominated the ball possession in the first half but short of goal trials. Though the home side returned from the dressing room in aggressive direct play it was Waliya’s that broke the dead lock through Albanian based Binyam Belay who out foxed the left full back to square the ball to the box where the defender deflected it to his own goal. But the lead stayed only five minutes before a brilliant equalizer by Setrumang from twenty yards set piece.
A hard fought defensive play from Waliya’s reciprocated by the home side’s all out attack, two brilliant saves from back to top form Jemal Tasew and a double header bounced from the cross bar, the score line ended in a 1-1 draw thus Ethiopia progressed to the group stage with away goal advantage.
Abraham Mebratu now has enough time to look for a play maker to be handy in place of Shimeles Bekele, a defensive mid fielder in an option to Gatoch Panom and an attacking combination that could work among the strike force.
The 14 winning teams from the Preliminary Round will join the 26 exempted teams for the Group Stage, which will have 10 groups of 4 teams each. The draw for the groups will be based on the seeding of the 40 teams into 4 Pots according to the official ranking of FIFA. Each group will contain a team from each of the pot.
