ADDIS ABABA – It is difficult to present all the details of the happenings of the Ethiopian calendar year 2011. Despite this a look back through reminds readers on some of the most important points about football and athletics.
We have only two days to go to end the 2011 Ethiopian calendar year. This is a leap year in which the Ethiopian 13th month Pagume stands at 6 days. Regularly the month of Pagume has 5 days.
The champions
The season’s Ethiopian Premier League, EPL, title was taken for the first time by Mekele Saba Inderta. This was the second year running EPL title to be taken by unexpected fresh sides. Last year Jima Abajifar emerged the winners. For Jima that win was historic in at least one sense: Jima took title in their debut in the elite league. Emerging winners of the EPL title in their debut has never happened in the league’s 22 years history.
The then coach of Jimma Abajifar was Gebremedhin Haile. As a coach that win was his first time. But he made his second win with Mekele in this season. Gebre is the first coach to take EPL title for the second successive year.
It is important to notice that the top three sides in the EPL are from regional clubs. Accordingly Sidama Coffee were the runners up while Fasil City stood third in the line-up.
Controversies
All through the league competitions controversies were common occurance. Days before the closure of the EPL schedule adjustment were taken by the country’s football governing body, Ethiopian Football Federation, EFF created complaints after complaints. Fasil City complained that the adjustment is against their interest but EFF didn’t remained adamant.
Fasil who were the favourites to take title at that time also submitted complaints that they are facing difficulties in playing at Mekele arena. Particularly after their match against Dedebit things were not moving in the proper direction. Fasil claim that they were not fairly treated by the EFF. The appeal didn’t bear fruit.
Passing through this tough hurdle the title went to Mekele in the closing day of the competition. Mekele fans jumped in to air with jubilation while Fasil City fans expressed anger over the misdeed done against their sides.
Forfeiture
It was not only Fasil City who submitted complaints to the EFF. Saint George also expressed anger over the readjustment of schedule at the final hours. When their complaints were ignored by the EFF St. George decided not to show up in the remaining matches. Nobody was there to hear complaints. Then warning followed but it was not considered.
In the official statement unless the schedule is corrected, St. George warned that they will not show up in the remaining two matches. In an unprecedented manner forfeitures were given against St. George two times. This is unseen in the EFF’s 75 years history. The Ethiopian Football Federation was formed in 1943/44 season.
Ethiopian knock out Cup
For the first time Fasil City lifted the Ethiopian knock out trophy. It was seen as compensation for their loss of the EPL title. This was the second time their coach Wubetu Abate to enjoy big wins in the country’s football history.
Wubetu won the Ethiopian Premier League title in 2013 with Coffee and this time he added the knock out trophy to his bag with Fasil City. Indeed this was a big achievement for the coach.
Continental matches
Both the seasons Ethiopian Premier League champions Mekele Saba Inderta and Ethiopian knock out holders Fasil City faced early exit from their continental competition.
Mekele Saba Inderta who luckily played on their turf in the second preliminary leg finished level at 1-1 against the visiting side Equatorial Guinea’s Cano Sports Academy but were forced to face exit with an aggregate 3-2 result.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian knock out holders who travelled to Tanzania suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the home team Azam who advanced in to the next round with a 4-2 aggregate result.
Fasil City had a 1-0 win over Azam in their first leg of the preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup held at the Bahir Dar venue.
Fasil City lost their chance under the newly appointed head coach Seyoum Kebede. This was a bad omen for Seyoum. Coach Wubetu Abate guided Fasil City to take the Ethiopian knock out title and gain the first leg 1-0 advantage. Wubetu resigned just a day after he played his first continental game against Azam.
Seyoum Kebede became in charge of Fasil City the next day. It was indeed a bad coincidence for Seyoum’s career at Fasil. It was also a wrong decision for the club officials to accept Wubetu’s resignation before he carried out his international commitment.
Losing international standard stadiums
After suspending the 57-year old Addis Ababa stadium from the international standard stadiums list, CAF for the time being ordered Bahir Dar and Mekele stadiums to receive the international status. Accordingly, Fasil City played their first ever international match at Bahir Dar stadium.
Fasil primarily preferred to play on their home turf at Gondar but the games organizing body the Confederation of African Football, CAF, decided the match to be played in the internationally accepted stadium.
The then Haileselassie first stadium, renamed as Addis Ababa stadium just days after the fall Emperor Haileselassie in September 1974, was completed to host the third Africa Nations Cup staged in Addis Ababa in 1962. The Ethiopian 2011 year has witnessed this bad scenario.
Relegation
The Ethiopian Premier League has confirmed the relegation of three teams: Mekelakeya, South Police and Dedebit. Dedebit had lifted the EPL trophy once in their short lived EPL existence. In their peak time they produced strong players for the national team.
Most of the players who qualified for the 2013 African Nations Cup after 31 years belonged to Dedebit. The side had also the history of offering an inflated salary for their players. Their players earned over 100 thousand birr monthly salary for the first time in the country’s football history.
It is ironic to notice that Dedebit were forced to relegate unable to cover the running cost of the club. They, in fact, requested for liquidation for lack of money. In just 10 years the richest club turned out to be the poorest.
The ugly spectacle of crowed disturbance
The season also witnessed the ugly spectacle of the crowed violence. This time the first big incident took place at the Addis Ababa stadium that forced to interrupt the match between Saint George and Hawassa City.
The crowed disturbance flared up before the kick-off time. As a result the play was officially interrupted by the order of football officials.
The clash among the fans of the two sides was indeed surprising. The game was at its earlier stage. What would happen if the matches reach critical stage? As it is known there are times for teams to be put in a do or die situation. This time the EPL was in its fifth week, 25 games to go before the closure of the season.
The game’s organizing body, the Ethiopian Football Federation, EFF, initially urged all club fans, officials, coaches and players to avoid violence in and around football pitch. That urge was violated at early stage.
To many in Ethiopia the scene during the derby match between Saint George and Coffee has always been tense. This is understandable because of the rivalry between the two teams is a public knowledge.
The EFF looks determined to impose harsh penalty to control the looming football hooliganism in its bud but the danger of its rising trend is visible but that didn’t help to bring the atmosphere wanted by the football fans. In Gondar,Mekele, Hawassa and Sodo violation of discipline was almost common. It reached now in a very sensitive stage. What will be done in the coming season?
New Year gift from athletics
As the year 2011 closes to an end, the Ethiopian young athletes enjoyed sweeping victories at the 12th All African Games.
Of the total tally of 23 medals the Ethiopian contingent who finished ninth collected in Morocco athletes take the lion share in the Ethiopian medal lest: Five gold medals, five silver and eight bronze. In total Ethiopia earned 18 medals in athletics. That sent the Ethiopian athletics team to stand second behind Nigeria in athletics in Morocco.
Conclusion
This was 2011 E.C in so short a space. What do we expect from the coming Ethiopian New Year? We hope for the better.
The Ethiopian Herald September 10, 2019
BY SOLOMON BEKELE
