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.
Mesay back to action with Fasil; Dereje leaves Medin
AbaJifar, Adama close in on top spot
Okiki Afolabi once again is on target at newly promoted side Jimma AbaJifar as they secured an important home win to close the gap on the top spot. Ethiopia Bunna’s three consecutive match winning streak came to an end after an away defeat at the hands of relegation struggling Arbaminch.
Despite introducing former national team and Ethiopia Bunna skipper Gatoch Panom back from the Russian side Anzimacachakala, visitng Mekele failed to return home with a point. Though creating a number of goal chances AbaJifar could only manage a 1-0 victory through Okiki Afolabi. Philip Ovono’s magnificent goal saved the day for Mekele. With that win AbaJIfar sits second with 32 points a point below league leaders Dedebit, who settled for an incredible goalless home draw against Diredawa on Wednesday.
Back into the title race after three consecutive wins, Ethiopia Bunna was expected to return home with all three points. But the hosts Arbaminch won the day with two second half goals through TsegayeAberra and team skipper AmanuelGobena. Arbaminch jumped four steps to clinch the 16th spot on the table with 19 points while “The Brown Shirts” slipped to fourth with 29 points from 19 matches.
The defending champions scratched to a 1-0 home win over visitors Sidama Bunna with the winning goal from Ume Mohammed. Saint George jumped to the third spot with 30 points and a game in hand while Sidama stayed ninth with 24 points. Adama had only ten men but returned home with a 1-0 win over Mekelakya thanks to Bulcha Shura’s second half winning goal. An injury time equalizer from Welwalo, meant that Ethio-Electric returned home sharing a point while WolaytaDicha’s home encounter with Hawassa ended in 1-1 draw.
Jaco, Bezabeh and Haimant: triplets on the move to Egyptian league
Most of the deadly strike force that helped Wolayta Dicha to go through the first round of the African Confederation Cup qualification eliminating one of the continent’s biggest sides, Zamalek, Jaco Arafat is to leave his team at the end of the current season following a new contract deal from Egyptian side El Entang El-Harbi while strike partner Bezabeh Meleyo and mid fielder Haimanot Worku are under the radar of Egyptian clubs as both have landed a trial option for two months each.
The hard working striker is one of the few successful foreign players in the league. The former target man from Togo, Jaco Arafat’s huge contribution in both games against Zamalek earned him a chance for a one year contract with El-Entang. Though things appeared a done deal with El-Entang, the probability of joining Ethiopian striker Oumed Oukri at Samoha is said to be a likely option.
His two goals against Zamalek turned him into an overnight hero for Wolayta Dicha, Bezabeh Meleyo is also under the radar of the head hunters from the Egyptian league.
Impressed with the current performance of team skipper at Petro Jet Shimeles Bekele and Smouha goal getter Oumed Oukri, the Egyptians appeared to fall in love with Bezabeh who always appears at ease when the ball under his leg. “I am very excited to be noticed let alone getting a chance for a two month trail,” remarked Bezabeh to reporters.
In his very first season with Wolayta Dicha, the former Hawassa midfielder Haimant Worku is becoming more mature every day. His impressive performance at the two international matches have meant that he is probably destined to North African football if he does well during the two month trail at the end of the Ethiopian League season.
Wheat supply dangerously low as procurements stall
The Ethiopian Grain Trade Enterprise (EGTE) which distributes wheat to Ethiopia’s nine regions and two administrations is running out of stock due to delayed procurement of wheat from abroad.
The Enterprise had been distributing 640,000 quintals per month to trade bureaus, universities, and prison administrations and has only 50,000 quintals remaining in its stock which has caused them to delay this month’s distribution.
Currently four million quintals of wheat are under the procurement process but it will take over two months before this reaches EGTE.
EGTE, out of concern, has requested one million metric tons of wheat as a loan from the Emergency Food Security Reserve Administration (EFSRA).
However they have not gotten a response, so the Agency has made a second request, this time to the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) which did approve an unspecified amount of wheat.
Due the shortage EGTE cut the supply of wheat by 50 percent last month. They have also been purchasing wheat from the local market for between 1,000-1,200 birr per quintal.
A source at the Enterprise told Capital that shortages of bread and other products could occur if wheat is not loaned out or procured faster.
“Several months ago we cut the supply of wheat by 25 percent but we recovered soon because of the speedy procurement process but now it has slowed down and our stock is almost empty. There is only a small amount reserved for universities, defense and prisoners in jail. We are waiting for NDRMC to save us from our current problem.’’
Under normal circumstances regions and administrations receive the following number of quintals of wheat per month: Oromia (125,305), Amhara (72,550), Tigray (66,417), Addis Ababa (168,000). Somali (21,716), Afar (2,875), Gambella (20,700) Beneshal Gamuz (20,001).
EGTE sells the wheat at 550 birr per quintal to the trade bureaus who in turn sells it to the flour factories and then finally to the bakeries.
Last January the government canceled a 2.6 billion birr contract awarded to Pakistan based Shakeel & Company to supply 400,000 metric tons of wheat because they didn’t provide a performance guarantee and subsequently didn’t supply the wheat.
Last March, the Public Procurement & Property Disposal Service, PPPDS, opened a tender to supply four million quintals of wheat. The tender includes 10 lots, each with 400,000 quintals. Of this amount 500,000 quintals are expected to be supplied this fiscal year and the rest during the next fiscal year. Currently, two million quintals of wheat on its way to the country but is facing delays at port of entry. Those two million quintals were supplied by, Promising International Trading, (800,000 quintals) and Hakan Agro Industry (1.2 million quintals).
