No wonder Ethiopian football is going from bad to worse considering the life time of premier league coaches with their respective teams. Of the 16 coaches at the top tier nine are newly appointed ones while the remaining seven served less than 18 months with their current employers.
Champions Mekele’ Gebremedin Haile, runner up Sidama’s Zeray Mulu and newly promoted Hossana’s Girma Tadesse and Adise Kassa of Hawassa are the only coaches who have been with their teams since the start of last season while Yohannes Sahle of Welwalo, Simon Abay of Diredawa and Samson Ayele of Sehul-Shere are just with their teams since last season second round.
Kassaye Arage of Ethiopia Bunna, Paulos Getachew of AbaJifar, Wubetu Abate of Sebeta, Ashenafi Bekele of Adama and Seyoum Kebede of Fasil are new bosses in their teams. All are famous for changing teams almost every year. Wubetu left Fasil inspire a successful season while Seyoum replaced him at Fasil despite sending Mekelakeya in to relegation.
On the other hand there is Simon Abay who helped Diredawa to survival replacing Yohannes Sahle at the second round. Gebre Kristos Birara joined Wolayta a week after sending down Debub Police in to relegation last season.
Degarege of newcomers Wolkite Town, Fasil Tekalegn of Baherdar and the coach who helped Hadiya-Hossana back to the top tier Girma Tadesse are fresh faces at the latest edition of Ethiopian premier League.
So determined to bring back the championship title that eluded them for two successive years, 14 time Ethiopian champions Saint George is the only club to appoint foreign coaches. Both the coach and his assistant are from Serbia. Foreign coaches, four foreign footballers and in command of best local talent.