By Samson Michaelhead
The London Marathon, the biggest of all such events, takes place today featuring all time world great distance runner Haile Gebreselassie as hottest favorite to hisfor a first victory in London. Considering his contenders all time rival Kenyan Paul Tergat, Italian Stefano Baldini, Jaued Gharib of Morocco and Felix Limo, Haile is not only expected to win but set a new time to bring his records tally to eighteen. Ethiopian athletes also feature in the women’s event in which former world champion Berhane Adere and triple Olympic medalist Gete Wami take part. The two world renowned long distance runners, in the shadows for some time, told reporters they are ready to more than just appear in one of the most sacred of Marathon venue.
Asrat and Tsegaye to lead Ethiopian national side to Kinshasa
Ethiopia’s most seasoned soccer coach Tsegaye Desta is a joker to fit anywhere soccer coaching or a fireman in red alert where ever there is fire. Though he never had a chance to win any thing in the name of titles almost three decades in Ethiopian football, Tsegaye is always there with a helping hand to stand in who ever sacked at what ever time. This time Tsegaye Desta currently head coach to Ethiopian premier league surprise package Tikur Abay Transport FC is appointed assistance to Ethiopian national senior side bound to Democratic Republic of Congo for Africa Cup of Nations first leg qualification match. Forget what happened with his current side Defense Force, the most successful football coach in Ethiopia Asrat Haile dubbed as Goradew (the sword) appointed to the national hot seat for the umpteenth time. Though he declined to lead the national Olympic side six months back, Asrat with no official statement for the public accepted the appointment. Many who believe Asrat’s integrity already started guessing match why he now joined the national side already marked in danger zone. Some said Asrat accepted the appointment in fear of sacking from Defense Force at the end of his worst season in his more than quarter of a century carrier knowing that all EFF promises to help make a strong natural side capable of qualifying to the nations cup final in Ghana never materialized. I wonder if Asrat accepted the appointment in free will “said one admirer of Goradew. The Ethiopian National side now started preparation on the double under head coach Goradew and assistance Tsegaye since last week twenty-six players under their command. According to Asrat Haile, he and assistant Tsegaye’s role in selection is so insignificant that only four players added to the squad in their request. Mentioning this may be Gordew’s way of telling the public that he is not to be responsible if the most likely failure to quality for the cup final come true. Most of the players from the national Olympic side now qualified for the group stage, it appears the squad has so few experienced players to shoulder the most talked about qualification much against DR Congo in Kinshasa. Postponed from the original date for the unrest in the host’s capital, the match is now set to take place next Sunday. Had it not been for the postponement the Ethiopian side were to be caught with pants down. It is recalled EFF announced the postponement 48 hours before the match day.
Currently, hottest favorite to win top of the table DR Congo now leads with four points from two matches while Libya second with same points and goal difference from three matches. Ethiopia third with three points from two matches Namibia Bottom of the table with three points in three matches.
Kinshasa bound Ethiopian national side
Milan to splash USD 135 Million for Ronaldinho, Ronaldo earns £120 thousand weekly
If all goes according to plan Brazilian ace midfielder Ronaldinho Assis is to grace the sacred Sansiro as the world most prizeed footballer with USD 135 million from club president Silvio Berlusconi.
Former Italian P.M and Ac Milan owner Berlusconi announced he would write a 135 million dollar check from which 80 million would go to the player’s transfer fee while the rest 54 million is for his salary. Though the twice world player of the season Ronaldinho three years contract remaining with Spanish league defending champion Barcelona , following his agents disclose that if wonder boy is to leave Nou Camp his first choice is Ac Milan, club president Berlusconi jumped in to the opening confident of his massive financial might. Second in Spanish league top scorer list with 17 goals and eyeing the league title for the third successive season, Ronaldinho is said to have second opinion to stay in Barcelona.
In the mean time Manchester United sensation Christiano Ronaldo signed a new five year deal worth of more than 30 million pound. Hottest favorite to crown English premier league best player of the season, twenty years old Ronaldo is to earn 120 thousand a week salary the highest at Old Trafford. United’s first offer to Ronaldo was 90 thousand a week less than 10 thousand from central defender Rio Ferdinand. After some time the deal in suspension the player’s agent came to terms forgetting the initial mark 140 to agree on 120 thousand a week salary. Real Madrid, the richest club in the world had been in contact with the reigning Portugal’s best sports man of the season Ronaldo with a blank check but the player declined to stay in United to master some of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tricks. Already in contention to premier league top scorer accolade with 16 goals, Ronaldo currently considered the Devils most prized player as well as the new face of United since David Beckham’s unceremonious departure from Old Trafford.
Olympic national side thrown into lions den
For the first time ever in group qualification stage, the Ethiopian national Olympic side drew in the death group together with African soccer giants.
Victory over Tanzania and Algerian counter parts in the preliminary qualification campaign, the Ethiopian side became one of the twelve nations that qualified for the group stage that is to start in May. Those twelve nations grouped into three, each having four nations play a two round matches from which the group winner to book a place in the 2008 Beijing Olympic as one of the three African representatives.
So astonishing, the Ethiopian side drew in group one that comprises the nation’s soccer heavy weights whose experience at international soccer stands tall and proud. The toughest group dubbed as death group brought together former Olympic gold medalist Nigeria, bronze medalist Ghana and South Africa. As the nation’s leading soccer power with so many young talents in European leagues Nigeria is the hottest favorite to top the group while Ethiopia long since absent from international football considered the group under dog. Upsetting the big ones at home matches and be a king maker seem the only role that Ethiopia could play. For the home fans this is the best opportunity to enjoy soccer at the nation’s highest level. Every football fan applauded the home side for making in to the group stage and surely would rally behind the qualification campaign for some home surprise. Ghana, the only nation to get through to 2006 Germany world cup final group stage is one of the nations soccer force with lots of international experience. Being an Olympic bronze medalist, Ghanaian’s has one motto which is going up all the way to snatch the ultimate gold.
So many young talents bustling in to world soccer Ivory Coast appeared to be in the best of the group with only Senegal as an outside challenger for top spot. Having world cup final experience plus number of choices for the above twenty three players Ivory Coast may be the best African representative in Beijing Olympic. Mali and Zambia are from the same cut that is group under dogs capable of any surprise.
Former Olympic champion Cameroon considered group three mighty not on its current performance but for its past glory. Seen in the last Nation’s cup final that the lions are aged, forming a strong Olympic side capable of Olympic gold medal may not be an easy under taking. The Lions short coming may profit the only North African representative Morocco to snatch the top spot. As one of African great soccer nation with abundant of international experience Morocco would be a strong challenger to book its Olympic cup final place. Botswana is under dog of the group with nothing except aiming to rattle the big ones. Guinea is the one expected to battle for some surprise among the group for its squad in the last Nations cup final was a squad to recon. Qualification campaign kicks off the coming May, Ethiopia hosting South Africa here in Addis Ababa.
Draw Results
Group A
Ghana
Ethiopia
South Africa
Nigeria
Group B
Mail
Zambia
Cote d’Ivoire
Senegal
Group C
Botswana
Cameroon
Guinea
Morocco
Askale takes spot light in Paris Marathon, Gashaw fails to defend title
Ethiopian athletics appear to discover future marathon queen through 23 years old Askale Tufa who won the latest Paris marathon in an astonishing 2:25:07. Though her pace maker from home stayed all the way together with her, Askale’s determination to lead the pack from the very start was what made her favorite to become Ethiopian marathon future to take over from legendary Olympic gold medalist Fatuma Roba. Smashing the Dubai marathon record months back Askale is now considered a natural long distance runner with the brightest future.” Here comes the latest Ethiopian women athletes to rub shoulder with the likes of world renowned athletes Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar” said the commentator in ecstasy when Askale crossed the finishing line so composed hardly seem to cover 42 kilo meters. Russian Gulnara Vigoveskia who did the best of her efforts at the final seven kilo meters finished second crossing the line three minutes later. Gulnera’s 2: 28:22 recorded as her best time. French woman Cristel Dawre applauded by fans from home finally ambushed Ethiopian athlete Aisha Gigi to finish third Aisha had been trailing third for most of the distance but appeared out of gas at the final few kilo meters to finish in 2: 28;54.
In the men’s event last year champion and pre race favorite Gashaw Melese. Gashaw in good form and determined to win one of world’s major marathon events for second successive year failed to full fill his dream for the former Kenyan now a Qatar citizen Mubarek Shami. The tall Mubarak, with lots of sportsman ship to show had been firmly held by Ethiopian Driba Mergia until the 35 kilometers mark where he suddenly stepped up his pace never to look back. Never to lose a single marathon event since 2005, Shami’s performance at the final 10 kms was too much to Gashaw who finished second two minutes behind in 2:09;53 followed by Kenyan Daniel Rono who clocked 2:10:28.
Same old Ashenafi back to Ethiopia Banks hot seat
Guess who came to the Ethiopian Premier League side Ethiopian Bankers hot seat? He is the same old Ashenafi Bekele in white horse who appointed to take over from Girma Tsegaye. Serving almost a decade as assistant for every head coach coming to the club( that is at least two every season)Girma, former player of the side appointed head coach at the start of the current season to stay only until the end of the premier league first round campaign.
According to sport’s weekly “League Sport“ twenty four years old Banks has seen more than fifteen coaches including Mengestu Worku, Seyoum Abate, Asrat Haile, Worku Dereba, the nation’s most seasoned head coaches. How ever let alone league title it has never gone above fourth place. With one exception that is Ethiopian knock out championship title under Seyoum Abate.
What is surprising of all is not why Banks failed to deliver despite having heavy financial muscle to have every thing first grade. It is how it is always Ashenafi Bekele who called in to save the side from whatever danger coming. Once kicked out of his head coach position charged as club saboteur, little known as a player Ashenafi, a six months Jummeda coaching certificate at his belt, rose to king maker role for the past twenty years. Many came and went with the only exception Ashenafi to pop out when ever fire appears to break. This is Ashenafi’s forth spell with Bank’s and he has been booted out then called back in by the same club executive committee members more than once. League sport discloses Ashenafi’s last time sacking was signed by the current club president Ato Abebe to only re appointed by the same signature. Rather than players and coaches it is the club executive body that always stay for longer seasons and seen do what ever they like including hiring and firing club managers in different occasions.
“Once elected to a committee member, that is almost for life. Surprisingly those members most of them with no prior knowledge of sport before elected, they could simply fire and hire to their liking players, coaches, club managers and what have you.” said a former player.
Girma Tsegaye according to some sources, the choice of the players sacked last week failing to deliver what he promised from continuous four matches. The 3-2 defeat at the hands of Air Force FC as the final straw to see him resign even while the club technique committee members were busy to reconsideration. Three wins, four defeats and eight draws, Ethiopia Banks finished the first round campaign 12th on the table with only seventeen points.
Many football fans did not get surprised when Girma sacked for the result was unsatisfactory. However, most of the fans amazed for the appointment of Ashenafi Bekele who served most than any coach in the club but delivered the least than any. One roomer goes that Ashenafi is to stay longer than the end of the season for the strong backing of club president Ato Abebe.
commenterry
Premier league top three
As the Ethiopian premier league first round came to an end at long last, to no one’s surprise defending champion Saint George finished on top of the table. Considering Saint’s resources from every angle finishing only two points clear of runner up Coffee does mean rather a short coming. With financial muscle capable of doing anything thanks to the club patron Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi five foreign professionals in the already to burst with the nation’s best ever talents squad plus a foreign coach at the helm should have been the country’s soccer power on its own league. In addition to the failure at international fixtures (CECAFA club championship & Champions league) Saint George’s first round campaign is unsatisfactory calling for serious consideration what is really the club’s dream as the oldest side with seventy years history. The giant striker Nigerian Uche and his pair Beniam Assefa leading the strike force, Bajope, Abraham Coddimore and Mulugeta Meheret in the mid field, number one left winger Dawit Mebratu and the country’s best central defender Degu Debebe leading the defense it does not give sense to just finish the round with a single point. Let alone at international level the side is yet to come out as undisputable soccer force at local competition.
Second place Ethiopian Coffee arguably the crowds most favorite side is with sheer determination to dethrone the champions yet not well equipped to make it true. Even though with the biggest number of supporters the sides financial status is a far cry from rival Saint George which is the very most important factor to win championship title. The side is filled with second fiddlers for the best ones choose to go to the opposite and since to become cup contender signing best talents is key factor, supporters should accustomed to send hand-in to pockets to make the side rich enough at least to sign new comers. Except leading top scorer of the league Tafesse Tesfaye, there seems no one talented enough to influence final results. Even when it comes to the coaches Coffee has the youngest coach with little experience at the country’s highest level. It is hard to believe Coffee is campaigning to muscle out the title from Saints led by Kifle Boltena who seen dumb founded to any tactical change when Saint George devastated the side two weeks back. Sure Kifle has real potential to make it in to higher level but currently his knowledge to lead the side to wining title is a far fetched option. To be title contender strength in the field as well as out of the field really matters. The single point deference is not for the strength of Coffee rather it is to the weakness of the league leaders. When it matters the side showed how deadly they are.
Third place Awasa Kenema is the strongest among the regional sides as well as the strongest next only to Saint George and Ethiopian coffee. For that matter Awasa once tested the premier league title while Coffee never in the leagues history. Awasa lucky to have the longest serving club coach kemal Mohammed, it still manages to contend for the title despite the yearly migration of players to the capital city clubs. Having 30 points from possible 45 Awasa’s first round campaign could be considered an achievement in comparison to the capital city clubs. How ever, to be a strong title contender the club needs to have a permanent financial source. Failing to keep rising stars at home Awasa in the future may end up a side to only produce players to feed the nations big clubs. This way tasting the title for the second time would be out of question. Awasa town, fast rising as the Southern Region financial center, the club seems to have best opportunities to bring them together in support of the club. Awasa must lead the way so that other regional clubs shall follow.
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