Five teams including 5th place Adama are in a title collision course while eight sides are in a desperate struggle to run away from the drop zone. New comers Jimma AbaJifar are leading the furious title contention while the other eleven teams follow; including high spenders Woldya who sit rock bottom of the league table.
Saint George has 14 league titles but never an East African Club championship, now they have a legitimate shot for another Premier League title.
Some media outlets suggest that the close title race is a reflection of a strong league season. But the truth is that the parity is due to mediocrity as none of the 16 teams managed to emerge dominant because they are all inconsistent. It appears that no one wants to win the title this year.
Unbeaten Gor Mahia of neighboring Kenya is leading the 18 side league with 37 points from 11 wins four draws plus 21 goals while bottom of the table Wazito has just 20 points from 19 matches. Nzoia Sugar’s Elvis Rupla is leading the top scorer sheet with 11 goals from 15 matches. Sudanese top league group “A” leader Al-Hilal Omdurman finished top of group “A” with 42 points from 16 matches while runner-up Hilal Obayed is eleven points behind. Al-Merreikh tops group “B” with 34 points where as Al-Ahli Atbara is camping bottom of the table with 11 points. APR of Rwanda leads the league with 51 points and 27 goals from 25 matches and down in the table Miroplast has collected only 17 points.
The above record shows that even with the help of a number of foreign players the Ethiopian Premier League season is full of less competent teams and no team has emerged as a dominate force. One can conclude that Ethiopian Premier League plays at a lower level compared with neighboring East African Leagues.