Former St George and national team assistant Coach Fasil Telkalegn took over Bahirdar Ketema replacing his former playmate at the national team Getachew Paulos. Building a squad from a scratch is what a huge challenge awaiting Fasil.
More than twelve years and five premier league titles at St George, the full back hung his boot after two seasons with Ethiopia-Medin, Fasil’s Coaching carrier gone through the rank to serve St George all the way to the top as assistant to the club as well to the national team.
Topping up his long time experience with a six month coaching course in Hungary, Fasil appears ready to come out of the shadow at Bahirdar Ketema the side that finished ninth in its maiden year at the premier league last season.
According to sources only two players are under contract this time thus the 40 plus year old Coach’s priority is about signing new players and start rebuilding the squad from a scratch.
Serving assistant to more than half a dozen foreign coaches and a stop-gap coach in numerous incidents, this appears a crucial time for Fasil’s experience to come in to test by fire.
“It took us years talking about Ethiopian Football problems. I don’t want to join that crowed rather I will try my best to be part and parcel of the solution” Fasil told reporters ahead of taking the hot seat at Bahirdar. “The myth that Ethiopians have superior technical quality is a bit bizarre for me since there is no comparison.”
Fasil Tekalegn to rebuild Bahirdar anew
Strong Ethiopian quartet to break Kenyan dominance in Berlin
A strong Ethiopian men’s quartet will be gunning to halt recent Kenyan dominance at the BMW Berlin Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on 29 September.
Guye Adola, who finished second in his marathon debut two years ago in Berlin, as well as Leul Gebrselassie, Sisay Lemma and Birhanu Legese all possess the potential to win at this year’s event. Leul, Lemma and Birhanu have each triumphed over the marathon distance in the past ten months, running top-class times and all have personal bests in the region of 2:04.
In the past ten years Ethiopian runners have only won the men’s title in Germany’s most spectacular marathon on two occasions: Haile Gebrselassie in 2009 and Kenenisa Bekele in 2016. Otherwise Kenyans have dominated, breaking the world record four times. The most recent occasion was last year when Eliud Kipchoge ran a sensational 2:01:39 but he will not be running this year.
Berhanu Legese is the one runner among the Ethiopian quartet who has won an Abbott World Marathon Majors race on 2019. The 24-year-old took the title in Tokyo in March with 2:04:48 in only the third marathon of his career. In 2018 he made a spectacular debut clocking 2:04:15 in Dubai which immediately put him among the marathon elite. Even so, his time was only good enough for sixth in an extraordinarily fast race. Last autumn he finished tenth in Chicago in 2:08:41. Berhanu has already won one big race in Berlin, emerging as the surprise winner of the city’s half marathon with 59:45 in 2015. Leul and Sisay were also in action in Dubai last year, producing personal bests.
Wubetu in a signing spree behind the curtain
Though not yet officially unveiled as Saint George Coach, Wubetu Abate is already busy in the transfer market handpicking players suitable for his ball possession style of play. Wubetu took in to his wing three upcoming young talents while handing seven players a new two year contract extension.
Wubetu might be the right answer to Saint George supporters that were complaining for years about the team’s lack of fluid football. A title winner who is committed to build a results oriented, ball playing side. Former Dedebit Fc Yabsera Tesfaye and Abel Endale are the new boys that joined the Horsemen in a two year contract. Coming up through the rank to play a major role in Dedebit for the last two seasons, the two players are much expected to orchestrate the Horsemen’s midfield.
The other guy who penned a new contract is former Welwalo central defender Desta Demu. One of the best emerging talents last season, Desta could be the right answer to inconsistent Salhadin Bargecho. The partnership between Walia’s skipper Aschalew Tamene and Desta Demu is expected to benefit even the national side. Desta is also a proven full back with high inclination of going forward therefore an ideal choice for Wubetu’s possession football.
The most famous goalkeeper stranded in the reserve bench for the last two seasons Lealem Berhanu, defenders: injury prone Salhadin Said and Abdulkarim Mohammed, midfielders: Natnaiel Zeleke, versatile Mulualem Mesfin, strikers: Gadisa Mebrate, Ame Mohammed and Getaneh Kebede are the seven players that put their signature to work under Webetu for the coming two seasons.
EFF’s newly set salary cap turned controversial
Too late in to the latest players’ transfer market and short of addressing players already under contract, Ethiopian Football Federation announced a salary cap effective immediately. Despite being an issue concerning all footballers, the meeting was only among Premier League clubs. “The move is a typical example of divide and rule,” one participant suggested after the meeting. “The 1,600 USD before tax is the cap for an Ethiopian player while 2000 USD for a foreigner, appears the hasty decision is about nationality rather than capacity,” he added.
The argument is since clubs’ are the one directly responsible for financing the sport, it is none of the federation’s business, to set salary cap. Since the federation was not the one that set players’ staggering wage, it was not supposed to take such unreasonable major that could rock all parties involving around the sport. It appears a showoff of the federation that is under heavy pressure from Addis Ababa teams plotting to form their own league.
The least the federation should have done was that of calling the National General Assembly emergency meeting ahead of the new season players’ transfer window. Two weeks in to the window opening, it is too late to apply the new ruling for the clubs as they have already signed most of the players in their shopping list. The Federation also appears to forget players that are already under contract.
EFF president Essays Jirra and his vice president Colonel Awol (who single handedly sky rocketed players’ salary when he was Dedebit President) told participants the contract agreements are no more valid in the eye of the federation. What they forgot or willing to forget is that of the governing law in the country concerning Employment is that of Ethiopian Labor Law. Those who already have contracts are not in obligation to comply and those who signed before the federation’s bravado are simply to go to court and present their contract agreements.
Calling a meeting excluding footballers to set salary cap is not a solution to help the sport survive or it is not about fair distribution of the country’s wealth as the only five speakers that dominated the stage suggested. The problem is the management and unless professionals take over the leadership, nothing could be done except watching Ethiopian Football die. Those in charge of club administration would have their way to exploit the latest situation which is pushing under the table deal to backdate already signed contracts.
