Egyptian Football Federation President Hani Abou Rida resigned along with seven of his cabinet members including vice president Ahmed Sharon following the host’s shocking early exit from Nations Cup final last sixteen. “The decision was made despite the federation did not do any less than what was required for the national team providing the team with all financial and technical support” Hani Abou announced.
“We are not directly responsible for the team’s early elimination, being the country’s football governing body the least we can do to show due respect to the public is resigning from the office so that others who believe to bring changes could take over.” The President added.
In Ethiopia the country that boasts to be one of the four founding members of CAF, let alone losing a nation’s cup quarter final, failing to run the very football is not worth resignation. Though it is common traits among the country’s politicians the same is true about the sport.
Here in Ethiopia president Essayas Jirra and his second in command Awol Aburakim led cabinet asked nothing more than running a humble season that brings together 16 teams in a 13 months of sunshine country. But see what in a deep mess they sank the football yet hardly to take any accountability let alone resignation.
The league season is a total failure by all standards. Suspending and postponing numerous fixtures, tolerating half a dozen forfeits, failure to organize the season’s knock-out championships, short of curbing ethnic hatred, chaotic referring and pure hooliganism at the highest are among the few to mention the federation’s proud moments this season. Despite having such a humiliating record the least they can do was to fade away at the back door with their tails behind. But forget not it is Ethiopia and they are waiting for honorable medals.
So it does give sense to raise the question why after all they were elected? The least what they were expected was to run the country’s football organizing tournaments. But it turned out a failure in every aspect and to anyone sensible surprise, no one of them asked for an apology let alone resignation.
Essayas who mostly prefers a low profile was nowhere around the ceremonies while Colonel Awol handed the trophy to champions Mekele Seba-Enderta. The record appears a bit odd. Jimma AbaJifar won the title while their former boss Essayas was President of EFF and now it appears time for the vice president Colonel Awol to hand over the trophy to Mekele. What a coincidence?