After surrendering the league’s top spot to arch rival Saint George in sloppy form Ethiopia Bunna signed a new striker from Burundi. Hussein Shabalala Shabani is expected to help French Coach Didier Gomes find some breathing space before an all out opposition is triggered from club supporters. “Ten goals in thirteen matches means Bunna is contending for a title with no strike force,” a club supporter suggested. “Even considering what the foreign strikers delivered so far, I am in doubt whether Shabani can make a difference,” he added.
With a current marketing value of 90,000 £, the attacking midfielder who played for Baroka FC in South Africa, Tanzanian sides Rayon Sports and Amagaju FC and Flamb de L’Est in Burundi, the 28 year old Shabani’s record as a striker is hardly impressive yet the coach appeared to be happy. A member of the 2014 CHAN Cup final held in South Africa, Shabani played for his country on 15 occasions but scored no goals. Add to that his two goals in eight appearances at CAF Champions League and ABSA Premier international fixtures, “The Brownies” hope of emerging as string title contender could stay on hold.
Recently, Bunna sacked two of their foreign players for below par performance. But even the remaining two foreigners 250000 Birr a month Ghanaian Kalusha AlHassan and DRC international Suleiman Lokwa each with just two goals, are not delivering what is expected of them thus the rationality of signing Shabani yet to be seen. Abubakar Nesru is Ethiopia Bunna leading striker with five goals four from the penalty spot.
Burundian Shabalala Shabani joins Ethiopia Bunna
Zelalem leaves Debub Police
Hottest favorite to relegate at the end of the current season Debub Police parted ways with Coach Zelalem Shiferaw just four months in to his one year contract. Zelalem joined the club late in the players’ transfer market thus he built a squad out of second fiddlers.
Defeated in all home games except a 1-0 win over bottom of the table Dedebit and two away goals less draws with Diredawa and Sehul-Shere, last season’s Super League champion Debub Police collected five points from 13 matches thus second from the bottom a point clear. One of the most traveled Coaches Zelalem who last year left Dire Dawa in shabby form only to join Woldya on its way down to relegation, took over at Debub Police in September signing a one year contract.
But things went sour despite signing old horses the likes of Mulualem Regassa and foreign players including two from Nigeria two weeks ago, Zelalem appeared to be once again on the run from a likely side to go down. “Pressure was there for my resignation but I waited until it came from the club. When I saw the green light from the club, I agreed to resign,” Zelalem told Soccer Ethiopia.
What is amazing about Ethiopian Football is a rumor Zelaem is going to join another Premier League side at the start of the second round. “He is already in a scouting mission to sign players for his new side for the second round” an insider told Capital Sport.
Kenenisa and Ruti Aga lead elite fields for Tokyo Marathon
Multiple world and Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele heads the men’s field at IAAF gold Label road race in the Japanese capital on 3rd of March 2019. The Ethiopian set a national record of 2:03:03 when winning the 2016 Berlin Marathon, but he has struggled in some of his races since then. He failed in finish in Dubai in 2017 but rebounded to finish second in London in 2:05:57 three months later.
He then withdrew from the Berlin Marathon later that year before returning to action at the 2018 London Marathon, where he finished sixth in 2:08:53, but recorded another ‘DNF’ at the Amsterdam Marathon in October 2018.
Bekele’s last race in Japan was at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, where he won the 10,000m – one of his six global titles at the distance. He is one of five men in the field with PBs faster than 2:05. Fellow Ethiopian Birhanu Legesse ran 2:04:15 in Dubai on his debut at the distance last year and will contest his third career marathon in Tokyo.
Dickson Chumba, the Tokyo Marathon winner in 2014 and 2018, will defend his title. The Kenyan, who has a lifetime best of 2:04:32, finished inside 2:05 in both of his Tokyo victories. He also finished third at the 2015, 2016 and 2017 editions of the race.
Ethiopian Ruti Aga is the fastest runner in the women’s field in 2:18:34. Three other women in the Tokyo field have sub-2:20 PBs: Ethiopian duo Feyse Boru Tadese and Yebrgual Melese plus Kenya’s former world half marathon record-holder Florence Kiplagat.
Defunct foreign strikers crowd Ethiopian Premier League
Despite the presence of thirty plus foreign strikers, football fans are complaining about goal droughts as most Ethiopian Premier League fixtures end in a marginal draw results. Why spending huge sum of money for unproductive foreign players instead of developing local boys is a bizarre situation to understand.
Current Premier League records show that only nine foreign players manage to have their names on the goal scorers’ chart and their combined efforts stands a total of 16 goals that is much less than the three Ethiopian joint leading scorers’ combined goal tallies. If that is so why are we not working hard on local talents instead of spending good money for the foreigners is the question.
Adama’s Dawa Hutesa and Sidama Bunna’s Addis Gedey and Hawassa’s Tafesse Solomon sat on top of the leading scorers’ chart with eight goals each while the highest scorer among the foreigners is Diredawa’s Etamunwa Kemuyni bagging four goals in ten matches. Jaco Arafat of Baherdar, Ezuka Ezu of Fasil , Suleiman Lokwa and Alhasen Kalusha of Ethiopia Bunna scored two each, while Mamadou Sidibe, Edi Benjamin, Mid Fofana and Richmond Odongo each have a goal to their names. Of course there are also the likes of last season’s top scorer OkikiAfolabi, Samuel Sanumi and Philip Dawzi who had had their places in the record books. But these days things appear different for the imported goal getters are hardly finding the back of the net.
A total of 16 goals from much talked about nine foreign players comparing with the total goals so far in the season that is 142, the disappointment of football fans that are marching in tens of thousands to watch the so called derby matches are not surprising. But club officials and coaches appeared oblivious of these facts and are making themselves busy signing foreigners at the expense of upcoming home talents. Bottom of the table Dedebit, Debub Police and Sehul-Shere boast three foreigners each yet are crawling down in the table. Is someone up there listening? Super League clubs have also started the dangerous trend.
