Emerging a strong title contender in its first ever Ethiopian Premier League season Jimma AbaJifar is considered the biggest surprise package of the first round sitting second on the table with 25 points from 15 matches. Beefing up the squad for the second round is already a priority agenda. Though he didn’t have a good record during his time with Trans-Ethiopia, the former Saint George and national team player Gebremedin Haile has done well with AbaJifar steering the side to second place. They have seven wins, four draws and four defeats and have scored eleven goals while conceding only six. It is not only the expertise of Okiki Afolabi’s one man strike force with nine goals in 11 appearances, but also for the strength of the defense.
What makes the story even sweeter is AbaJifar’s bad start with a single win in its first six outings and three consecutive defeats. A historic home win over Ethiopia Bunna in the seventh fixture, it was AbaJifar all the way through the first round with only one defeat on the road to Saint George. Handing strong side Dedebit its first defeat after a 2-0 away victory, the Jimma based outfit appears a force to be reckoned with.
A striker Afolabi from Nigeria, in good form goal keeper Daniel Agyei and a midfielder Aminu Mohammed both from Ghana and a defender SisocoAdama from Mali, the foreign investment appears to have paid off. A little brush-up for the second round and some luck, boss Gebremedin could write a new chapter in his football history book becoming the recent time’s first footballer to win a title both as a player and a coach

Newly appointed Ethiopian Women’s national team head coach Selam Zeray announced an official list of names selected for the continental Cup preliminary qualification campaign that kicks –off in a two leg match against Libya on the final week of March, 2018. Twenty five debutants are called to camp including 17 players from the U-17 squad.
The appointment of Selam Zeray to the hot seat is still controversial because of the lack of transparency in the selection and her record at 7th place Saint George. Preparation resumes next week with the final list of players bound to Libya to be official a week before the month long competition that starts March 30.
Defending champion and league leaders Dedebit dominated the selection with eight players including all-time top striker Losa Aberra, team skipper Senait Bogale and midfielder Beruktawit Girma. Ethiopia Neged Bank throws in six players along with striker RehimaZerga, defender TariquaDebiso and mid fielder Hiwot Dengeso.
Four players are from Saint George, three from Hawassa and two players each from Mekelakya, Electric, Diredawa and Youth Academy. Four teams: Ethiopia Bunna, Tiret, Gedeo-Dilla and Addis Ababa have one player each thus a total of 36 players ready for the buildup.
With the 2018 Women’s league season first round coming to an end and Dedebit leading the table with 21 points followed by NegedBank and Mekelakeya each with 18 and 17 points respectively, Lucy’s preparation campaign is expected to go swiftly and to the satisfaction of all teams.

With a historic home demolition over defending champion Saint George on Thursday, Hawassa jumped three steps to finish in 8th place after the first round. Six points clear and a game in hand over league leader Dedebit has an interesting second round start while Saint George may not repeat as usual.
Two goals from diminutive play maker Tafesse Solomon and one goal each from Ferew Solomon and Eserael Eshetu, home side Hawassa destroyed visitors Saint Gorge with a shocking 4-1 score line that turned out the fast growing sea side town’s football fans into a frenzy.
Despite having the best local players plus five foreign players and under the stewardship of the Pinto from Portugal, Saint George appears to be off course and are winless in their last three games. For the home side it was a huge result that left the players as well head Coach Webetu Abate proud. Wubetu’s mid field domination and the unusual sharpness of the front players made the day for the home fans that started celebrating after the third goal from Tafesse Solomon.
Following the shocking result Dedebit has a six point lead and a game in hand over second place with 25 points Jimma AbaJifar and third because of goal differences Mekele. Saint George is fourth with 23 points.