Many sports fans comment with somewhat
exaggerated hopes that it would have been so much better if Ethiopia
was among the best footballing nations instead of producing world
class athletes. They point at soccer’s amazing power to unify
a nation as its greatest strength. Sadly, the state of Ethiopia’s
domestic league is deplorable and it will be many years, if at all,
before we see the Ethiopian flag hoisted at tournaments. Society
touches upon this complex issue:
Football- An increasingly frustrating
business for Ethiopians
As my erudite neighbor Eteye Lemlem would say, "Hulum Neger
Duro" equivalent to at English's 'The old is gold, or the more
appropriate Americanism - "They don't make them like they used
to." All of them apply to Ethiopian football or the absence
of it.
A fair percentage of the readers of this page will appreciate the
nostalgie value of the following names.
- Tesfaye Cento
- Gebremedhin Haile
- Mengistu Worku - Dagnachew Demisie
- Luciano and Italo Vassalo - Sebsibe Solomon
-Getachew Abdo - Mulugeta Kebede
-Mulugeta Weldeyes
- Negash Teklit - Million Begashaw
- Awad Mohammed - Negussie Gebre
These greats of Ethiopian and African football had at various
times captivated national aspirations. It is indeed sad to be discussing
today why Ethiopian soccer has effectively died out after such role
models had done so much to establish it.
What has happened to one of the greatest foot balling nations in
Africa?
Society will not even presume to answer a question that has been
discussed on hundreds of panels, meetings, symposium and drinking
houses. It will suffice to give pictorial record of the collected
comments of several soccer mad Capital readers in the hope that
someone out there will make sense of it all.
In closing, Ethiopian football cannot be discussed without mention
of the greatest African sports personality, the late Yidnekackew
Tesema. He was a devastating striker a dynamic caption and the most
competent administrator Ethiopia has ever produced. He worked for
over 50 years to improve his nation's soccer. In a way though, he
left us before witnessing the utter humiliation that the sport finds
itself in at present.
What is your opinion about Ethiopia’s
football record?
I can't remember the last time I went to the National Stadium to
watch a game. In fact, this is true of most of my friends. Not only
were we denied the opportunity to enjoy our favorite game, we have
also quit socializing like we used to.
Dawed, Frustrated Fan
Politics has corrupted Ethiopian football at all levels. The good,
self less and true sports professionals have been pushed out in
one way or another. Bad, greedy and opportunistic incompetents are
running' the show. I say 'their' time is up. You would think they
had the decency to withdraw with a semblance of grace in the face
of so much public condemnation.
Fitsum, Owner of café near stadium
Ethiopians are good in certain things; long - distance running,
modeling, teaching and of course, housekeeping. We can't be expected
to be naturally adept in such highly physical sports such as soccer.
To those who say that Ethiopian soccer used to be one of the best
(if not the best) in Africa, I say the rest of Africa was not awake
yet. Once they became independent, they left us biting the dust
Gutema, Cabbie.
My opinion is that there needs to be a change in the mentality
of fans, teams and officials. The national team has been synonymous
with defeat so much that it is expected to lose. How can we expect
to raise soccer standards when we are all so defeatist?
Abeba, Lawyer
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