Mugher Cement ready for new season title contention

Mugher Cement FC head coach Abraham T/Haimanot announced his side is going to be strong title contender in the new premier league season.
In his brief statement to Addis Zemen sport the former Guna Trade, Ethiopian Coffee and Methara Sugar FC head coach Abraham disclosed he has built a strong side capable of league title contention against the nation’s heavy weights. Though two of our best players including Saladin Said left at the end of last season we managed to replace them with new signings and young talents thus ready for the new season title fight” Abraham heralded.
Traveled to Baher-Dar for Amhara Region state millennium celebration five clubs soccer tournament in mid pre-season Mugher Cement finished fourth yet exploited the incident to see every member of the squad in real action. “The tournament and the extended stay in Baher-Dar enabled us to select the best of twenty five players whom are the squad members of the ambitious Mugher Cement Football club” said the head coach who is one of the luckiest of Ethiopian premier league coaches to grace Brazil, for a one month coaching coarse and a two weeks work visit in Spain with European soccer giant Barcelona FC.
Nearly a decade in Ethiopian premier league, Abraham is not yet to prove his salt as the big fish for his spells with Guna and short stay with Coffee ended in disappointment. Despite an only season stay with Methara Sugar it is so far his best achievement in his carrier. Many believe he could have been more successful had he stayed with Methara Sugar.
Currently in his second season with Mugher Cement and a strong backing from the club executive committee Abraham is dearly awaiting for the start of the new season of course a new premier league season complete with all sixteen sides. Though he has his own agenda that is professional football as the order of the day for world football, he strongly advocates an all in one league season. I wish the federation and the Union would compromise to work together that is creating a strong premier league competition under one umbrella. When I said Mugher is ready for the title contention I mean it is a contention among all the premier league clubs. I don’t mean Mugher is ready for a six side’s league season” Abraham said. 

Banks sack Ashenafi to appoint captain Melaku  

Unlike the past four occasions Ethiopia Banks club has sacked head coach Ashenafi Bekele back from Baher-Dar with Amhara region Millennium celebration mini soccer tournament trophy. Finishing on top of the five sides one round tournament where premier league clubs Ethiopian Coffee, Defense Force and Mugher Cement took part, was considered the apple of his more than a decade carrier. How ever the notorious Banks’ club executive committee suddenly thrown the machete to roll Ashenafi’s head making him a martyr like world renowned metropolitan manager Italian Fabio Capello who got the boot from behind the day after he led Real Madrid to Spanish championship title for the first time in four seasons. Both won trophies but to no credit.
Though Banks’ sudden move is not surprising for they had more than dozens of coaches in the past twenty-five years some coming and going time and time again. What is amazing is the timing of his sacking and the short time he stayed with the team. His fourth spell started in mid season, replacing Girma Tesgaye despite the players’ disagreement. With the season suspended it seems hard why Ashenafi got a kick after his return with the millennium trophy. This may be the last time Ashenafi is at Banks’ hot seat.
The new appointment is Captain Melaku who had been with Nyala FC, Djibouti Police and with Methara last season. Coming third after the vacancy announcement for Banks head coach position, no one expected the former army officer with little experience as premier league coach would be in charge of the club.
Thus captain Melku takes over the hot seat to build a strong side out of players Ashenafi scouted.
Many players already signed for the new season under Ashenafi, it appears unlikely the new coach would have finance to bring in new faces to his liking. Goal keeper Adamu Numero, and midfielder Getu Teshome both from Electric are among the players who joined Ethiopia Banks for the new season.
Being an ardent supporter and member of the run away league club’s union Ethiopia Banks is to take part in the pre season City Cup soccer tournament the Union announced to kick off soon among Addis Ababa clubs.

Berhane wins Chicago marathon for second time
Gete to face Paula in New York

Former world champion 100,00 meters gold medalist Berhane Aderre retained her title in Chicago, winning the 30th annual edition.
Though the event took place under a scorching sun and claimed one fatal victim, the veteran athlete Berhane
featured a magnificent finish to clock 2:33:49 faster more than two seconds than her nearest contender. Alone, on her own pace and thirty second late until the 40kms mark Berhane’s last ten kilometers speed was said to be the most amazing to the extent that the race leader Romanian Pirtina already started thanking the crowed for the big support, could not believe her eyes when Berhane over took her. “I am not sure what went wrong. Maybe I should have checked my back” Pirtina told reporters. Many said that after all Ethiopia may have number of women marathon athletes in Beijing Olympic. One of world marathon biggest annual event Chicago marathon brought together thirty -six thousand out of which only 24391 thousand finished the race due to the terrible weather.
Formerly one of Ethiopian best women long distance athlete Berhane Adere switched to marathon since the past two years in which time she won number of events. Now Beijing Olympic in less than a year time the determined athlete who has a husband and a coach in one is showing her impressive performance once again to shoulder in to the Ethiopian Olympic squad short list. A week after the astonishing Berlin marathon win by Gete Wami, the latest win by Berhane meant Ethiopia could appear in Beijing with a strong marathon squad. Romanian Adriana Pirtina finished second clocking 2:33:52.
In the men’s event, where no Ethiopian athlete seen in contention, Kenyan’s took the title thanks to the photograph finish of Patrick Ebouti. It took Ebouti and Jihad Garib the same 2:11:11 but the Kenyan stole the win in his final stretch.  Daniel Jinga of Kenya finished third followed by all five from home taking up all the way to eighth place.
In another athletics development Berlin marathon double winner Gete Wami is to face in head on clash against world marathon record holder British Paula Radcliff in New York marathon at the end of October. National record holder Gete who is currently on top of the leading athletes for world marathon USD 500000 is the hottest favorite to victory for she is currently at her best form. Sydney Olympic double medal winner Gete’s meant not only grabbing the jack pot but also a relief for Ethiopian athletics fans anxiously waited to see the nation with a strong women marathon line up in 2008 Beijing Olympic.  

To each his own

My friend, a popular former Ethiopian premier league and national team striker declared one afternoon while we were having good times that it is better to leave both factions to run their own show. “Let them have their way and let all of us watch what will happen. Ultimately every one will come to their senses and reach a common agreement”, he elaborated what he meant by ‘let them have their way.’
Though many of us were stunned at the start, it appears to give sense for there seems no midway for the two Spartans ready for war than peaceful settlement. The Dr Asheber led EFF is already setting dates for new season registration and according some sources, only six premier league clubs have registered. At the same time, EFF blessed new league committee is already formed with Defense Force club manager Major Hentsa appointed chairman. The newly formed committee believes every club must abide by the law and stay together in order to cleanse what ever dirt there is surrounding the federation. It means whether the runaway clubs are coming or not the new season is surely to kick off at the end of October.
On the other hand, the runaway clubs Union announced it is soon to kick off a City Cup tournament among the capital based sides. Following the City Cup, a pre season tournament takes place in Methara among the ten runaway premier league clubs. This means there is no way to a compromise.
The one and only body to interfere (if one of the two does not cry foul for world soccer governing body FIFA) is the government office that oversees the nation’s sport. So far the office appears to follow the case from outside and very cautiously. Government officials are extra careful not to annoy any one of them or be blamed for siding with one or the other.
Therefore argued my friend, since the pair agreed to disagree and government watching from afar, the only remaining option is to see both running their own shows. Surely at the end of the current season things would come clear whether united we stand we will survive or vise versa.
What about international fixtures? I asked him. Well what is the big deal about it? Does it really make a difference if Ethiopia skips the international season?, he asked. Other wise let the federation decide whether to select players and coaches from either of the leagues or from both. Anyway it is a matter much less important than the big issue. My friend concluded his argument saying considering Ethiopian football sacrificing a single season for a better future is not really a matter of life and death.  

Baher-Dar enjoys millennium sport’s events, Canoe race dream coming true

Vice president of Amhara National Regional state and president of the regional millennium celebration presidium, Ato Demeke Mekonen and strong force behind motor sport, said Baher-Dar city circuit appeared to become an annual event of the lake side capital.
In his brief speech in the first ever Northern Ethiopian City circuit award handing over dinner party Ato Demeke heralded that the beautiful city of Baher-Dar would like to host a strong annual city circuit race in co-ordination with the Ethiopian Motor Association. “You saw how the public was excited for the event. Thus we humbly request the association to be with us”, the vice-president added.
Though The city circuit was over shadowed by second major sport’s event in the year long millennium celebration schedule following the five clubs mini soccer tournament that brought together four premier league and Baher-Dar University soccer sides. Ethiopia Banks won the one round championship with Coffee and Defense Force coming behind.
According to Amhara Millennium celebration section coordinator, Ato Bililign Mekoya who played a significant role in organizing the soccer tournament and city circuit race, a large sport’s event is yet to take place in the capital’s most renowned tourist attraction Tana Lake . “Being blessed with Lake Tana the capital is to organize the first ever Canoe Race as part of the millennium celebration events.” Ato Bililign stated at the press conference in the presence of the region’s millennium celebration council secretary Ato Getachew Ali.
Following Ato Getachew’s elaboration of how much the secretariat is devoted to accomplish giant under takings in its one year term, Ato Bililign disclosed they are working hard to make come true Baher-Dar’s dream of hosting the first international Canoe Race. “The region, already a member of International Canoe Association since, 2005 has ten brand new canoes courtesy to ALMA and an instructor back from Tunis after a two week instructor’s course. Thus, our effort is to bring together nations well acquainted with the sport, the likes of Uganda , Tunisia and Tanzania for the international competition as well as guests of the Ethiopian millennium”, the highly motivated Bililign remarked.
With the regional millennium celebration secretariat strong backing of Baher-Dar, it for sure will have a number of sport’s events through out the celebration season. According to Bililign, the capital’s youth have awakened with a new dream of making Baher-Dar an international tourist destination. In addition to that the region’s Youth and Sport office is seriously considering a strong soccer side to represent Baher-Dar in the Ethiopian premier league in the very near future. “A wake up call to a new dawn is already here and we all know for whom the bell tolls”, said Ato Bililign Mekoya.