At almost forty, Italian living soccer legend Paulo Maldini is still going strong with no sign of retiring. His entire playing career was with Ac Milan that is twenty three years Maldini turned a milestone last week end, appearing in his 1000th professional match the highest record. Born in 1969, one of all time’s best defenders Maldini, joined Milan in 1985 and won seven Italian titles. Three European championship titles to his name, the tall handsome and humble Maldini played for his country a record 126 times before he retired in 2004 from international duty.

Harar Brewery secures first leg victory over Ryon
Awasa Kenema returned after a heavy loss

Ethiopian knock out cup holders Harar Brewery defeated visitors’ Rwandan counter part Ryon 2-0 while Ethiopian premier league defending champion Awasa Kenema FC lost the first leg to Tanzania’s Simba in Darussalam.
Though it is the first ever international match for relatively young side Harar Brewery FC, the players appear better experienced than Rwandan giant Ryon with repeated participation in African club championship. An all out attack from the very start Tsegaye Kidanemariam’s strategy was a brilliant one it kept the visitors in their own half. Backed by the unexpected yet highly appreciated turn up of the sell out crowd for the first international match in nine months the home side took the upper hand in mid field creating many goal chances although missing targets on several occasion. With team skipper Efrem Alemneh at the engine room, the home side took the lead with an acrobatic first half goal through Samuel Terefe. Back in to the second half with the visitors camping in their own goal mouth it appeared hard a second goal to come until the final minutes when the referee awarded penalty for Brewery. Ahmed Yasin sealed the match from the spot kick.
“Yes we missed several goal chances I really appreciated the way the players performed as well as the home crowe” said head coach Tsegaye after the match.
On the other hand Ethiopian premier league defending champion Awasa Kenema returned home after a 3-0 defeat at the hands of east African club’s giant Simba. The six times East African club’s Samba out classed the visiting Awasa Kenema in the first leg clash in Tanzania . With Kenyan professional player Moses at the front line Simba showed sheer determination to finish the job at home and succeeded. Moses tormented the visitor’s defense line in the mean time scoring twice on the 9th and 76th minutes while Makiwanga added the third on the 87th from penalty spot kick to make the return leg an up hill for Awasa. A second time in an international fixtures head coach Kemal Ahmed need to look for ways to counter balance the three goals deficit at the return leg in two weeks time here in Addis Ababa . Other wise the same story once again that is packing out from African club championship as early as the first qualification round.

FIFA announces Ghana African soccer number one
Ethiopia on top of East African table

The 26th African Nation’s Cup final silver medalist Ghana became the continent’s number one soccer country in the latest FIFA world best team of the month announcement. The four times African champion Ghana leap frogged to the top of the despite finishing third in the latest African nation’s cup final. Although many criticized the latest FIFA announcement luck some ingredients that should piston Egypt to the top of the table the Black Stars achievement in the continent’s soccer cup final hailed heroic by the world soccer governing body. “It is the cumulative result of four years that spring up Ghana to first place. For any criticism towards that is ground less” remarked FIFA spokes man.
Nigeria long to dominate African football, nose dived to sixth place following the poor performance of the squad in Ghana . Voted the most disappointing side of the tournament, Nigeria lost 2-1 in the quarter final clash against Ghana to go home early.
The 26th African nation’s cup final surprise package Egypt sits fourth on the table despite marveling performance that culminated in winning the continent’s title for a record sixth times. “A local national coach Hassan Sheata and his squad comprising only four European based players stunned Africa’s soccer giants that appeared with foreign coaches. That alone should have earned Egypt top of the table spot.” argued the critics.
Four times champion and runner –up Cameroon stayed in the previous second place followed by the tournament other disappointment Ivory Coast . Cameroon showed what it meant to rise for an occasion battling strong against Egypt the ultimate title winner. Despite having foreign based full squad, the Elephant’s finished fourth in the cup final twice loosing big 4-1 to Egypt and 4-2 to Ghana. Senegal, Nigeria, Mali, Guinea, Morocco and Tunisia took places from fifth to ten respectively.
Although it is the only nation to represent East Africa in the nations cup final show down Sudan could not make it to zonal top table. Although it failed to manage a single win the East and Central African champion Sudan featured a strong side in the cup final capable of rattling the heavy weights. How ever, the zonal top spot given to Ethiopia, the nation with no local tournament for the past nine months. Ethiopia is (a recent time record) 20th in the African table followed by Uganda 22nd, Sudan 28th and Eritrea 37th.

Back from Holland Kifle failed to impress Coffee supporters
Asrat Aduna back on the bench

Kifle Boltena, the coach who promised Ethiopian Coffee supporters that no more big money to transfer seasoned players rather serious engagement to develop young talents sacked in mid week just three matches in the recently started Ethiopian premier league new season. In his return from Holland after two weeks advanced coaching course, Kifle, considered the messiah of Coffee since Seyoum Abate, told reporters he is to build the future Coffee star players from young generation thus the so called big name players better look for a place some where. Many believe the former Electric youth team and Ethiopian Air Lines coach was serious keeping his promise. How ever when the real thing that is the premier league new season starts Kifle was no where in the vicinity of knowledgeable coaches for he lost two and went draw in the first three matches. Not only had the result that made furious the club’s supporters but the poor performance in the field and the selection of  first team players is what made the pressure out of hand that the only solution happened to be sacking Kifle. “Only one point out of the possible nine points is too much to tolerate especially for a big club like Ethiopian Coffee a title contender” remarked Begashaw an ardent Coffee supporter.
Though no official release came from the club sources tipped that the pressure came from supporters union the club administration simply brought in former Ethiopian national team and Coffee popular defender Asrat Aduna for the match against Adama Kenema on Wednesday. “I couldn’t believe my eyes seeing Asrat on the bench instead of Kifle. He should have given time and above all whom to appoint at such high time. After all is there any one better than Kifle or for that matter worse than him? Our coaches are one and the same thus why not wait until the end of the season” said Wondemagne after the match on Wednesday from which Coffee came out with 1-0 win, a breath taking goal from Solomon Girma’s long free kick.
Nevertheless Kifle Boltena became the first head coach to get sacked in Ethiopian premier league new season. Those who knew Kifle says that his real talent is scouting rather than coaching thus finding his next club is going to be difficult.   

Kenenisa sets 3000 meter new world record
Meseret leads national squad to Spain

Former twice IAAF world best athlete of the season Kenenisa Bekele crushed two miles indoor record in England –Birmingham. Already two wins in two show downs in the athletics season, Kenenisa featured one of his best performance to set a new world record in two miles that had been in the name of world all time great distance runner and compatriot Haile Gebreselassie. The five time double world cross country champion was not like any other times for this time he was as the north wind to slash thirty five seconds from the record. Kenenisa crossed the finish line in 3:04: to add one more to his previous nine records in his belt. I was very ready and sure to set new world record” said Kenenisa after his astonishing win.
In other news, Kenenisa’s unexpected decision to withdraw from the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championship in Valencia- Spain stunned the athletics world. In superb form, Kenenisa was expected as the high profiled world athletics star in the occasion thus his move surprised every one in the sport. “I withdrew from the event to give chances for the up-coming young athletes” Kenenisa told reporters.
Reigning IAAF world best women’s athlete of the season, Meseret Defar, leads the seven strong Ethiopian athletics squad in the 12th World Indoor Championship in Valencia- Spain that takes place from 7-9 March 2008.
The Olympic and world champion Meseret Defar and compatriot Meselech Melkamu lines up in women’s 3000 meter race with Meseret the hot favorite to win the race for the third time in a row. Meseret has the record in 8:27:93 while Meselech, who pushed Meseret to the limit in the February world record show down has 8:29:48. Last week’s surprise 1500 winner Mekonen Gebremedin and Derese Mekonen battles for medal in the 1500 meter race. Former world youth champion Gelete Burka represents Ethiopia in the women’s 1500 meter as the hottest favorite.   Meseret leads a strong Ethiopian squad to Spain

Jijiga ‘Great Ethiopian Run’ ended with color
Zewdenesh Aragaw won the women’s event

The final of the 3-race ‘Education for Girls’ serious mass -participation runs took place in Jijiga last Sunday bringing together more than 2000 participants expected at the race.
Following the two runs held in Jinka and Semera on 13 January and 3 February respectively, the closing stage in Jijiga ended as the best of the three towns event.
A vibrant reception from thousands of people flocked in to the town square for pre-race program on Saturday evening, with female teenage participants cheered and shouted as messages were announced from the presentation stage encouraging girls to continue education, the final leg of ‘Education for Girls’ campaign culminated on Sunday morning with the day’s main program that is the five kilo meter race. The event so full of color was another chapter in the success story to Great Ethiopian Run organizers.
The run, the 35th running competition staged by Great Ethiopian Run in its seven-year history, was the biggest ever running competitions in Jijiga, the capital of Somali region and the regional government made special efforts ensuring that the run staged in success.
Though it was the officially registered participant’s number stood in 2000, the actual number was sure more than three thousand.
The juniors’ event was the first of the day event and it was amazing seeing what a majestic number of females took the street. In the women’s event fifth grader Sawra Mohamed finished first while seventh grader Samrawit Hadish and first grader eight years old Senait Kinfe crossed the finishing line second and third respectively. In the junior boys event eleven year old Mikias Abderkadir won the day followed by twelfth year old fifth grader Robel Webshet and eleven years old six grader Kasim Abdurahman.
The women’s senior title went to local athlete Zewdenesh Aragaw while Alem Teketel and Mareg Alemayehu finshed second and third. The men’s honor went to Merkebu Berke who appears with athletics bright future stood first followed by Desalgn Zerabza and Yared Bekalu second and third respectively. Jijiga is capital to Somali region with more than 200 thousand population, eight junior secondary and a single high school.