After five consecutive seasons battling to survive in Ethiopian Football top tier, the beginning of the end appears to come over to the former twice Ethiopian Premier League champion Ethio-Electric following its relegation to the lower league at the end of the 2018 season. The relegation of both the men’s and women’s sides shows what a huge mismanagement is in motion at the Ethiopian Electric Power.
Famous for producing young talents such as the likes of national team hero Salhadin Said, Muger Cement FC relegated in 2015 then disbanded. Two seasons later the number one Sport spending Club Ethiopia NegedBank relegated to face the same fate as Muger. Here comes the only remaining Government affiliated Premier League side going down the drain likely to be disbanded for the major financer Ethio Electric Utility itself dispersed in to nine regions and two zones.
Though the whole aim of financing the Sport was about fulfilling social obligation of the Company, the reality is about fattening individual pockets in the name of committees, board members and above all the king maker middle men. Spending hundreds of millions birr with nothing to show at the end of the season and no one to be accountable for the fiasco, Electric FC’s history appeared to come to the end. Ethiopia Medin is the only government financed team yet roasting at the Super League for the past five years yet few of the Company’s employees know about it.
Spending millions signing footballers including four foreigners, one of the Premier League most spending team Ethio-Electric sacked Head Coach Berhanu Bayu after successive survival battle seasons only to bring Ashenafi Bekele towing Bogale Zewde alas Intelo as assistant to pilot the team in to relegation. Ethio-Electric finished 14th in the table with only 35 points from thirty matches thus relegated following Arbaminch Ketema and bottom of the table Woldya Ketema.
Ethio-Electric relegated with no one to stand accountable
Wubetu Abate signed a lucrative two years contract
A two years contract worth more than 2.2 million Birr, the former champion with Ethiopia Bunna Wubetu Abate joined Fasil Ketema. “Despite many requests from other clubs, I chose Fasil Ketema for being a club ready for a modern structural change and having big dreams” Wubetu stated in the press conference held at Ethiopia Hotel.
Though his final season with Hawassa Ketema was less impressive in terms of result but highly appreciated for building an entertaining football playing squad and introducing number of young talents. Fasil Ketema officials didn’t waste time to bring home Wubetu their ideal person to bring the Club’s big dream of becoming a dominant side in the next season.
According to Fasil Ketema Board Chairman Aschalew Worku, Fasil Ketema has set a road map to become a big club that could meet international standards in all aspects including the Club’s structure, therefore they signed Wubetu to help them achieve this huge goal. “We are going to build a strong team not out of foreign players rather to nurture our own Young talents. We have no plan to sign foreign players’ unless we left with no other option” Aschalew remarked.
Formerly with Adama Ketema, Ethiopia Bunna, Ethiopia NegedBank and Hawassa Ketema, Wubetu has also a two years’ experience with Sudan side Al-Eshendi thus his vast experience is to be tasted with Fasil Ketema renowned for millions of home supporters.
Fasil signed three; Bunna kicked out big name players
Though the newly elected Ethiopian Football Federation has not yet come up with a solution for the highly criticized non-transparent and exaggerated players’ transfer saga, Ethiopia Bunna and Fasil Ketema became active participants in the recently opened players’ transfer window.
Strapped with a staggering artificial annual budget, short of fulfilling contract agreements at the final months of league seasons and unfair for teams on the way to promotion, the middle-men led Ethiopian Football players’ recently opened transfer window is getting momentum.
According to latest news from sources close to the club, the talk of the town is more about those who left than the new signees. Ethiopia Bunna said no to extend contracts to nine players including two foreign players. Long serving team Captain Mesud Mohammed, play maker Elias Mamo, and Aschalew Girma are the big name players while Aklilu Ayanaw, Efrem Wondowosen, Alemayehu Muleta and Aklilu Walelgn are all on their way out. The much appreciated goal keeper Harrison Hesu and under achiever striker Baptist Faye also parted ways with the club that finished third in the recently closed league season.
The French Boss said to be busy in looking for a new squad has signed two players both from the relegated Arbaminch Ketema. Left full back Tekalegn Dejene and famous for playing both a striker and central defender Temesgen Castro are the duo that signed a two years contract with Ethiopia Bunna.
The newly appointed Head Coach to Fasil Ketema Wubetu Abate also kicked off his squad building by signing three new players. The most talked about player in Wolayta-Dicha’s international fixtures play maker Bezabeh Meleyo, Dedebit and national team winger Shemeket Gugsa and the mid fielder who helped Mekele Ketema to finish fourth in the past season Habtamu Tekeste have joined the Gondor based side Fasil Ketema signing a two years contract.
El-Gouna FC handed Gatoch a three years contract
Ethiopian national team skipper Gatoch Panom landed a lucrative three years contract with Egyptian upper tier side El-Gouna FC. “Ethiopian international defense mid fielder Gatoch Panom completed transfer to Egyptian Premier Division club” tweeted his agent Rahman Magdy in mid-week.
The giant defensive mid fielder for Gambella had had a six years with Ethiopian Bunna in which time he became the team Captain as well first choice mid fielder in Ethiopia national team Waliya-Ibex. Becoming the first Ethiopian Footballer to grace European top league when he joined Russian top league Anzhi Makhachkala only to a short spell due to lack of regular place in the side.
On his arrival back home he signed a six months contract with newly promoted side Mekele Ketema boasting the country’s highest paid player with a staggering monthly salary of 250,000 Birr. Two goals in to his name and steering Yohanes Sahle’s Mekele to much acclaimed fourth place finish in the league season, the 23 year-old Gatoch landed a mouthwatering opportunity through his new agent Abdulrahman Magdy becoming the third active Ethiopian footballer to play in Egyptian top league. Play maker Shimeles Bekele with Petro Jet and Oumed Oukri banging goals to Smouha the 1.9m tall tackler is not expected to be a stranger in Cairo where the real action is taking place.
