League leaders Ethiopia Bunna travel to Welwalo Adigrat in the biggest clash today. Saint George and Ethio-Electric brandishes an old rivalry while Dedebit entertains Fasil Monday.
A 2-0 home win over vociferous visitors Arbaminch despite the absence of team skipper Mesoud Mohammed, Ethiopia Bunna tops the league table with seven points so Serbian head coach KostadinPapic is a happy person until the end of the honeymoon. The away showdown against huge home supporters WelwaloAdigrat is going to be the first real test for Papic.
Under pressure Gebremedin Haile’s JimmaAbaJifar entertains visitors SidamaBunna while 8thth in the table Woldya hosts 4th in the list new comers Mekelein Mohammed Al-Amoudin International stadium. A defeat to Zemariam W/Giorgis could mean a huge blow to the home side while an away win could make head coach YohannesSahle a hero back from the battle field with all three points.
Without strikers Salhadin Said (Injury) and AdaneGirma (Suspended), Saint George appears to be off to a good start as they returned from Yergalem after a 1-0 victory over Sidama Bunna. Four points from two matches, “The Horse Men” are in for a huge derby clash against Ethio-Electric on Monday. Two foreign players on the bench and team skipper Addis Negash red carded Electric’s 3-1 loss at home to visitors Welwalo is a hard blow to head coach BerhanuBayu who had been under pressure all through last season.
The other big match on Monday is in Addis Ababa featuring former champions Dedebit entertaining Gonder based visitors Fasil. FasikaAsfaw is the only player to join Dedebit this season. A win against a side that signed more than a dozen players including four foreigners could give head coach NegussieDesta and his squad a strong inspiration while a defeat could bring hard times to head coach MentesenotGetu.

World U18 and U20 champion Solomon Barega and ZeynebaYimer won close contests at the 2017 TOTAL Great Ethiopian Run 10km road race.
It has been a stellar 2017 for Barega who stormed to an impressive 3000m title at the World U18 Championships in Nairobi in July and followed it up with an impressive fifth place finish over 5000m at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London a month later.
Solomon Barega who looked relaxed behind the pacesetters in the large group, suddenly took the lead at the halfway point with Moges following him closely. The chase pack failed to cover the sudden move as the duo opened up a two-way battle for the finish.
Moges tried the first breakaway attempt at the seven-kilometer mark, but Solomon fought him off en route to his victory in 28:36. Moges followed him across the line two seconds later with DawitFekadu winning the battle of the leading pack chasers for third.
Defending champion FotenTesfaye was the favorite in women’s race, but victory in this contest went to ZeynebaYimer, the world U20 cross country bronze medalist. As predicted, Tesfaye made her penultimate move in the waning stages with Yimer the lone challenger remaining to the finish. She piled on the pace trying to shake off Yimer to avoid a race to the line, but it was Yimer who stayed with her for about a kilometre before taking the lead. The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia runner roared on to victory in 32:30, but Tesfaye failed to maintain the runner up position, eventually overtaken by GirmawitGebrezer.
A record 44,000 participants started the race in the Ethiopian capital that saw three-time world half marathon champion LornahKiplagat, reigning Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot, and two-time Olympic 5000m champion MeseretDefar as guests of honor.

Ethiopian Women U-17 national side entertains its Nigerian counterpart today at Addis Ababa in the U-17 World Cup final qualification campaign first leg showdown. Head Coach Selam Zeray told reporters that the team minus international friendly matches is well prepared for the home game. The aggregate winner books a place in 2018 World Cup final staged in the South American nation Uruguay.
Sailing through the first qualification fixtures by forfeit from Kenya, the The Ethiopian side has been preparing for the past three weeks. According to Selam the new league season’s start had been a big help for the players in order to gain match fitness therefore the dwell against the African mighty side may not be as such a big deal. “It would have been a huge bonus for the team had there been an international friendly match. However, missing the chance is also a blessing in disguise for it helped us focus on the buildup of the team,” head coach Selam told reporters. “The diehard spirit is our strongest part of the buildup therefore “Win by all means in front of home supporters” is our motto Selam added.
Despite little consideration from the Football federation and some controversy over the age limit, the players appeared in high spirit to prove themselves for home football fans. Famous for her 4-4-2 formation at Kidus Giorgis Women’s team, Salam‘s plan is to finish her job at home for the defeating the visitors on their home soil is unthinkable. “ I beg football fans to help us win this home game otherwise a return leg at a town five hours drive from Legos is a slippery high hill to mount,” one of the players suggested.