The Ethiopian Premier League Share Company banned Mechal and Sidama Coffee from signing new players for the reminder of the 2024/25 Premier League season. The clubs have been labelled as culprits and were fined on Monday for not abiding a financial regulation of the league.
The task force set up to control the financial handling of clubs found that the Army side and the South Ethiopian outfit were signing new players using down payments through third parties. The practice enabled the clubs to sign quality players in the shadows while avoiding the new financial regulations. Seven of Mechal's players and six Sidama Coffee players were charged and found guilty of accepting down payments.
Now the league has taken further action against the two sides. The clubs are now banned from signing players during the next transfer window. The league has also suspended former Mechal chairman Seifu Getahun and Sport Directorate director Colonel Dereje Mengistu from club football activities for two years.
Former Sidama Coffee president Alemayehu Timotios, general manager Firew Arera and all board members who actively participated in the transfer of players have also been suspended from club football for two years. The action taken by the league is a new beginning in Ethiopian football to curb tax evasion and fraud with the first stiff punishments handed down this week.
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