With a new record setting performance on Tuesday Ethiopian Women side Lucy got through the Total Women’s African Cup of nations qualification second round to face Algeria in the last two leg showdown. “Our target is simple and clear that is qualifying to the cup final. We are going to do our best to go past Algeria and I hope EFF will give us a helping hand in making the dream come true,” head coach SelamZeray suggested after the hard to believe  victory.
Libya after all might not be among the best teams on the continent but Lucy’s adventure of returning home with 8-0 score victory was beyond imagination. A hat trick from RehimaZergaw and a double from LosaAberra was something to talk about until the return home leg on Tuesday. In front of the home fans Lucy rose to the occasion once again to crush the visitors to a 7-0 score line sailing into the next qualification round with an astonishing 15-0 aggregate result.
With two goals during  the away first leg, goal machine LosaAberra added a quadruple at home to make her tally six while away hat trick hero Rehima Zergaw stroked twice for a total of five goals. Hiwot Dengiso, Merekat Feleke, Senait Bogale, Bethelehem Kefyalew and Bezuayehu Tadess each had a single goal to their name, the Egyptian side is out of the competition with their biggest ever defeat in their football history.
Nevertheless Lucy’s next adversary is Algeria with abundant international experience including participation in the Asian Championship. Previously, Algeria dismissed Ethiopia from the 2016 African Cup qualification with a 2-1 aggregate victory after a 1-1 draw here in Addis Ababa.
Algeria got past Senegal in the two leg qualification with a 3-2 aggregate victory which means a huge two-leg showdown remains for Selam to fulfill her dream of a Cup final place in Ghana. Ethiopia, absent from the recent pool last time, stands 79th on the Fifa world ranking table while Algeria sits 76th. The first leg takes place in Algers on 4th June with the return leg on 12th  June 2018.
Despite the huge victory some critics suggest that Selam will be haunted by her rejection of the country’s best player Bertukan G/Kirstos if things go wrong against Algeria. “Bertukan and Selam should come to peace for the good of Ethiopian Women’s Football and someone should act to break the deadlock,” a critic suggested.

It is a pity that some people think Ethiopian football is just a place you come in and hold office, kill the game, walk out then suddenly decide to come back again later  walking majestically as if Ethiopian football fans and stakeholders have quickly forgotten.
It is a disgrace to Ethiopian football to see the name of Former Ethiopian football federation(EFF) President Dr.Ashebir Woldegiorgis seeking to make a return to the   same federation he ran down and left in bitter fighting during  his  term as President between 2005 and 2009. The  infighting led to the global banning of Ethiopia by the World Football Governing Body FIFA.  All these  shenanigans under Woldegiorgis’ stewardship  led to Ethiopia being thrown out of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. As we speak he is currently embroiled in further problems after he left the Ethiopia basketball federation as President in a huff soon after being elected in order to seek the EFF Presidency, is this not the GREED that will kill our game in Ethiopia?
It is a pity that such people who cannot sustain their places in other federations are left to seek opportunities to hold office the so called ‘eat-a-food’ epidemic leadership must be eradicated in Ethiopia.
Dr. Ashebir without any prejudice has a bad record in managing football in Ethiopia that is why he resigned in 2009 when he had jumped from the frying pan into the fire when things went from bad to worse and suddenly he was facing a motion of dismissal. He quickly resigned and left problems that would take long to solve.
I think we need to really take a good hard look at what’s going on in our game today unlike the previous years. The football development and sustainability cannot be wrapped in cotton wool, protected from the real world when people like Ashebir seek a comeback. Do they see it as a privileged position? No, they have an inordinate sense of entitlement.
Football gives most of us relief from the normality of day-to-day life, conversation with your mates, a chance to shout and bawl at the match or at the telly and to bring Ethiopia together. Dr. Ashebir should find alternative employment and leave football alone.

Ethiopian U-17 national team nick named “Red Foxes” are taking part in the ongoing Cecafa championship tournament that takes place in host nation Burundi between 14th and 25th April 2018. There are eight teams in two groups. The Red Foxes are pitted in group “A” along with Burundi, Somalia and Kenya with the opening match against Somalia. Group “B” brings together the 2009 champion Uganda (The Cubs), Tanzania, Zanzibar and Sudan.
The Hawassa Town dominated Red Foxes appeared to be pitted in the humbler group where Kenya and hosts Brundi are favorites to get through the knock out stage. However, Ethiopia is considered an underdog that could make a run. The group heavy weight Uganda is expected to rise to the top of the group table along with Sudan; currently strongly working in youth development.
The former Hawassa U-17 team head coach Temesgen Dana is the boss with his lieutenants MulugetaAyechew and former renowned national team goal keeper BeleteWodajo taking care of the goalies. The group opening match is against Somalia, Ethiopia takes Kenya in the second match on Tuesday followed by the group final match against hosts Burundi on Friday.
Here is the roster: Goal Keepers: Mentesenot Gimbo (Hawassa), Tesfahun Adise (Adama), Setotaw Abebe (Saint George).
Defenders: Tsegab Yohannes and Dagem Wondimu from Hawassa, Azaryas Abel and Samuel Jagiso from Wolayta, Muez Muhedin (Adama) andAshenafi Getaches from Academy.
Mid field: Alamin Kedir (Adama), YebehalFereje (AA), Adem Abas (Academy) and Mesfin Tafesse from Hawassa.
Attack: FerolDemisse, NebiyuDawit and Muse Kebede from Ethiopia Bunna ,ObangOpang and TsegaDerebe from Academy, Redwan Nasser (AA) and Hagos Haile from Mekerlakya.

Former Wolayta Dicha head coach YonasTeferi is back to action after three months with Premier League side Fasil.  Ethiopia Insurance (Medin) and Derege Belay have parted ways after less than a year. After nine years of service, and the only coach known to WolaytaDicha since the team was founded ten years ago, Mesay lost his miraculous touch this season to nose-dive Dicha to the relegation zone and thus a bitter yet right decision from the club officials occurred. They replaced  him with long time assistant Zenebe Fissha. After four months self-meditating Mesay was called to Fasil to take over the hot seat from GettuTemesegen who had been at the pulpit for two half seasons. Famous for building a team from home grown talent and working under a tight purse, Mesay is expected to make a miracle with the Gondor based outfit aspiring for strong title contention.
In the meantime Super league side Ethiopia Insurance showed the way out to Dereje Belay renowned for his promotion streak with both Sebeta and JimmaAbaBuna.
Considering his past adventure with AbaJifar and Sebeta many expected Dereje to help Medin get promoted to the upper tier after five seasons in the woods. But things appeared to be out of reach for Dereje since Medin is tenth in the Super League Group “A” with 18 points from 15 matches and has no hope of promotion at the end of the season. A disagreement over a contract extension is said to be the reason for  the departure of Dereje from the Medin the side credited for producing so many big name players including GetuMelka, Abiy, MekbebYerdaw, Abdi Said, Abraham Bisrat and others.