ADDIS ABABA – Mekele Saba Inderta will host the season’s league leaders Coffee tomorrow, Wednesday, at Mekele stadium in the 12th week of the season’s Ethiopian Premier League football club competition. This is a very tough confrontation for both sides in their title campaign.
Coffee are now on top of the table on 22 points from 11 games. If coffee succeed in collecting the full three points it will be a clear indication that they will remain in control of the season’s contest. But Mekele Saba Inderta have equal opportunity to go up at the top if they win. They are now 8th in the line up on 14 points from 8 games. The table shows that Mekele have three remaining games at hand.
If they win the tomorrow’s game and the remaining three their total tally will be 24. That will give them the driving seat. That makes it the tomorrow’s match a highly regarded one. For the newly appointed Mekele coach Gebremedhin Haile the tomorrow’s game is a do or die affair. Last season Gebre was the winner of the Premier League with Jima Abajifar. Same day, second placed Saint George will take on the bottom side Dedebit.
Currently St. George stand second on 18 points from 10 games, 4 points adrift of the league leaders. If St. George win the Wednesday match and the remaining one away game against Adama City they will close in on the gap with the leaders. Due to the holy days on weekends, the Ethiopian Epiphany, the 11th week football club competitions was played on Thursday and Friday.
In the eyes of many football fans this was a good program adjustment. Accordingly, on Thursday Coffee beat Hawassa City by a slender 1-0 margin to keep their leadership while St. George gained a similar 1-0 away win over Dire Dawa City to jump to the second place from fifth. The defeat By Coffee pushed Hawassa City down to take the fourth place on 17 points from equal 11 games.
The other losers Dire Dawa City stand 11th on 9 points from 9 games. The possibility to go up the ladder is likely for Dire Dawa if they collect the full 6 points from the remaining two games. This will be a tough homework for the newly appointed coach Yohannes Sahile who was transfered from Mekele. Same day, the host Wolwalo Adigrat University beat Bahir dar City with the same 1-0 margin.
The win helped Wolwalo to gain the 6th place on 16 points from 11 games while Bahir Dar City went one ladder down to take the seventh place on 15 points from 9 games. With two matches at hand Bahir Dar City have better chance to improve their position. South Police continued to drop points as they conceded a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of the visiting side Sidama Coffee who stand fifth on 17 points from 10 games. By contrast South Police are languishing at the 15th place on 5 points from 11 games. Climbing up the ladder looks a bit difficult with current form for South Police.
Bahir Dar City and South Police joined the top flight at the start of this season along with Shire Sihul. Of the three new entry sides, so far Bahir Dar have been faring well. Both South Police and Shire Sihule are languishing at the bottom side of the table. If things continue this way going back to the place where they were last season is highly likely.
On Friday, Fasil City gained the full three points with a 1-0 win over the visiting side Wolayita Dicha. Fasil now maintained the third place on 18 points from 9 games. Going at his speed is marvelous for the newly appointed coach Wubetu Abate. If his side succeeded in collecting 6 points from the remaining two games the season’s trophy will be within reach. Shire Sihul made little improvement with a 2-2 away draw with Mekelakeya who stand 12th on 8 points from 8 games. Mekelakeya suffered two heavy defeats in a row, first by Adama City (1-5) and St. George (0-5). After sharing a point with Mekelakeya, Shire Sihul improved one ladder in the table take the 13th place on 7 points from 10 games.
The defending champions Jimma Abajifar who didn’t play this week due to international commitment are in the dangerous relegation zone on 6 points from 6 games. Having 5 remaining games may be seen as an advantage but with this kind of performance it is difficult to gain high jump. Last week Jimma Abajifar suffered a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of the visiting side Hussini Al Agadin of Morocco at the Addis Ababa stadium in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup.
The good part of the season’s premier League in the last four games was that there was no crowed disturbance in Addis Ababa and in different venues. Clubs time and again went to Tigray and the Amhara regions and returned home peacefully. The atmosphere in the southern and eastern parts of the country has remained the same. This is seen as positive developments compared to last season. The competition will continue on Wednesday and Thursday
Herald January 22/2019
BY SOLOMON BEKELE
