The midpoint of the 2024/25 Ethiopian Premier League arrived at the start of February with Ethiopian Insurance topping the table after seventeen rounds. The league started off with nineteen clubs but Wolkite Ketema were demoted to the second division Ethiopian Higher League after they failed to meet the Ethiopian Football Federation's club licensing criteria.
Ethiopian Insurance aiming for the title
At the start of the season, few considered Ethiopian Insurance to be title contenders. Head coach Gebremedhin Haile combined his along with his Ethiopia national team coaching commitments and they kicked off the season with three draws and a loss. Since late October, Insurance have turned their fortunes and went twelve matches undefeated. They have only lost twice and registered 10 wins in the process.
Haile, a former Ethiopian international, knows how to build a competitive team. His side largely relays on possession-based football. Insurance often times are known for pressing and dominating their opponents. They have netted 21 league goals with only 5 goals conceded. Attacking proficiency and defensive solidity is what made Insurance strong during the half season and now they are five points clear at the top.
Hadiya Hosaina, a side rejuvenated!
Hadiya Hosaina is a club that usually made headlines in the local media for the wrong reasons in the past. The club from South Ethiopia were notorious due to past incidents with unpaid wages, sacked coaches and relegation battles. But this season things are looking different thanks to coach Girma Tadesse’s approach.
Tadesse made history by promoting Hadiya to the top flight for the first time. He signed some big names from Ethiopian Coffee to strengthen his attack including Mesfin Tafesse and Biruk Beyene to partner the young Temesgen Birhanu, a combination that has worked as Hosaina are second with 30 points.
Hosaina’s strength lays on their defensive approach and counter attacking skills. They are good at defending their leads and they showcased this in many games. The club will be hoping to carry this on in the second half of the season to challenge for the title.
Disappointing teams
Reigning champions Commercial Bank of Ethiopia for a large part were a shadow of themselves. Coach Betselot Luleseged was heard blaming the new Ethiopian Premier League salary regulations for his side’s misfortune but it is very clear that CBE have lost their grace. Recent changes helped them to move clear of any relegation threat but they have only won five games and are a long way from defending their title.
Fasil Kenema is another side that disappointed fans. A year ago when Wubetu Abate signed on to be the Emperors' trainer, both parties agreed on a goal to win the league title in his second season. Nonetheless, things are not looking the same now. Fasil have now drawn eight games, a record number along side Diredawa Ketema. They could only win five games.
Relegation contenders
Wolwalo Adigrat University might see themselves in the second tier Higher League next season. They sacked coach Ashenafi Bekele midway through the season and replaced him with Tsegaye Kidanemariam while only winning one match so far this season. They are widely predicted to drop to the second division as recent Ethiopian Premier League history indicates that clubs with less than 10 points in the first half of the season usually end up relegated.
Hawassa Ketema must be very surprised to find themselves currently in the drop zone. They have changed managers three times thus far and newly appointed coach Mulugeta Miherte will have a very challenging task to turn things around with the Lakers given the current situation.
New look Saint George and big spenders Mechal
Record Ethiopian champions Saint George are once again trying to fight for the title under the guidance of former club legend Fasil Tekalegn. Tekalegn never had the financial backing that he seeks from the club to build a strong side but he has done a tremendous job with eight players being promoted from the youth side. The Horsemen are now hoping for their young guns to make strides in the second half of the season.
Army side Mechal is a very complete side on paper. The club is home to legends and quality players but since January the club has failed to consistently get wins and have now dropped to fourth. Mechal still depends on the playmaking skill of Ethiopia national team legend Shemeles Bekele, who is the leading goal scorer for Mechal with six goals. Coach Geberkristos Birara needs to find balance in his team as they are the top scoring side in the league with 23 goals but they have also conceded 15 goals.
The Golden Boot race
The race of the top goal king of the league is taking shape. Ethiopian Coffee striker Anteneh Tefera leads the chart with eight goals. The composed striker is well known for his finishing skills. He can be deployed from the left flank and is good at dribbling and finding space.
Yared Birhanu of Mekele 70 Enderta had a good half of season with seven goals. The same can be said of Arbaminch Ketema's Ahmed Hussein as he has bagged seven goals. Yared Derza, Shemeles Bekele, Amanuel Erbo, Abel Habtamu, Kitika Jema and Fitsum Tilahun have six goals each.
Diredawa Ketema striker Mohammed-Nur Nassir sustained an injury that left him sidelined for over two months. He bagged six goals and if it was not for his injury, he could have gotten more goals for the Easterners.
Memorable game: Mechal 4-3 Saint George
Experts in Ethiopian football are not happy with how many games turned out to be this season in a league where games tend to be low scoring. Nevertheless, the Week 10 encounter between old foes Mechal and Saint George was a very entertaining game. Mechal won the game 4-3 after falling behind when Saint George scored two goals in the first 15 minutes. The Army side had to came back three times before winning the tie.
Poor officiating
The league has gone through many changes in recent times with acquiring a TV broadcaster. But poor officiating continues to create problems. Missed offside and penalty calls as well as failure to control games have been rampant nowadays in the league.
The Ethiopian Football Federation's National Refereeing Committee was lenient for a long time when it came to addressing the issue but during this half season some measures were taken as the league hopes to move in the right direction. The absence of technology at times made it difficult for referees to handle matches.
League resumption
The Premier League will resume play with Round 18 beginning on February 27.
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