Ethiopia’s two most supported clubs engaged in the country’s most intense derby match on Tuesday and Ethiopian Premier League leaders Saint George showed no mercy towards struggling rivals Ethiopian Coffee, winning 4-0 in a dominant performance. Abel Yalew, Chernet Gugsa, Edwin Frimpong and Addis Gidey all scored for the Horsemen to maintain the club’s pace and undefeated record at the top of the standings. Ethiopian Coffee continue to drop on the league table, currently sitting in a disappointing ninth place.
All the warning signs were there for Ethiopian Coffee supporters early on. Defender Syioum Tesfaye failed to play the ball urgently enough outside his own penalty area after receiving a pass from goalkeeper Abel Mamo and was swiftly dispossessed by Saint George player Yeabssira Tesfaye, who fluffed his finish low and wide of the goal inside six minutes.
The sloppy play in the back continued and late in the first half Saint George made their Addis Ababa rivals pay. In the 42nd minute, Chernet Gugsa easily snuck past two Coffee defenders before his cross found Ethiopia national team forward Amanuel Gebremichael at the far post. Gebremichael slipped a low pass to Yalew, who easily turned and picked out the corner of the goal from six yards out to leave Mamo with no chance.
After a nasty stomp in the Saint George penalty box on Coffee star forward Abubeker Nassir went unnoticed by the referee, Coffee completely melted down in the second half. After yet another giveaway, Gugsa was sent in on goal and easily chipped his finish by Mamo just after 47 minutes and the Horsemen were off to the races. Ghanaian defender Frimpong headed in a well delivered corner kick from Henok Adugna to make it 3-0 in the 82nd minute and Gidey’s free kick in the 88th minute only added to Coffee’s misery.
Highlights of the match are below.
