Football in Ethiopia

Last updated

Football in Ethiopia
International competitions

Football is the most popular sport in Ethiopia. Although not one of the leading footballing nations in Africa, Ethiopia has produced some outstanding teams at both club and international level as well as some talented individual players. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

History

The Italians were the first to promote the football in Ethiopia, after 1937. No overall Ethiopian championship was played in 1938 and 1939, but there were regional leagues in the provinces of Amhara (capital Gondar), Harar (capital Harar), Scioa (capital Addis Ababa).

The "Campo Sportivo "Littorio" [4] was the first football stadium of Addis Abeba: successively it was enlarged in 1940 with tribune and athletic lanes and after WW2 was renamed Addis Ababa Stadium. In 1944 the first Ethiopian Championship was held in Addis Abeba under Haile Selassie rule, with 5 teams representing the various communities in the capital conquered by the Allies. In the final match the BMME of the British Army won the Fortitudo of the remaining Italian colonists. Participants: St. George (Ethiopian); BMME (British); Fortitudo (Italian); Ararat (Armenian); Olympiakos (Greek). [5]

Early years

Football in Ethiopia came under the control of the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) when that organisation was founded in 1943. The EFF affiliated to FIFA in 1953 and to the Confederation of African Football in 1957. League football was in existence before the formation of the EFF with regional leagues contested during the 1938/39 and 1939/40 seasons in the provinces of Eritrea, Harar, Amhara, Scioa and Galla-Sidamo as part of the Italian occupation. [6]

The first recognised version of the Ethiopian Premier League was contested in 1944 when five teams representing the various communities of Addis Ababa competed for a title won by the British Military Mission-BMME. [7] The Ethiopian Cup was added the following year and has been contested regularly since (albeit with some gaps, notably in the 1960s). [8]

Contemporary football

The Ethiopian Premier League has been an annual competition since 1948 with Saint George emerging as the country's leading club with 24 titles. [9]

Ethiopia was suspended by FIFA in 2008 after the Federal Parliamentary Assembly sacked Ashebir Woldegiorgis from his position as EFF President and replaced him with their candidate Ahmed Yasin. As a result, FIFA, who opposed government interference in football, suspended the country in July 2008. [10] The suspension was lifted in July 2009 following the election of new EFF leaders. [11]

International

The Ethiopia national football team made its first appearance in 1947 and since then have enjoyed both highs and lows. As one of the few independent African states in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War Ethiopia were an important team in the development of the international football in the continent.

Africa Cup of Nations

Ethiopia was one of the pioneers of the Africa Cup of Nations and were one of only three teams to enter the inaugural 1957 tournament, finishing as runners-up to Egypt. [12] They were also present at the 1959 tournament [13] As hosts of the 1962 tournament and led by goalscorer Mengistu Worku, Ethiopia defeated Tunisia and the United Arab Republic (Egypt) to be crowned African champions for the only time in their history. [14]

They hosted the tournament again in 1968 and 1976 but by then decline had set in and their next appearance in a finals tournament came in 1982. They returned in the 2013 African Cup of Nations but got knocked-out in the group stages with only one point and finished bottom of their group.

World Cup

Ethiopia has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.

CECAFA

Ethiopia are also members of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) and take part in its competitions. They first won the CECAFA Cup in 1987 as hosts and repeated the same triumph in 2001 and 2004 before adding a fourth title in Rwanda in 2005. [15]

Other teams

In 2005 the Under-20s team won its sole CECAFA U-20 Championship. [16]

Club football

No Ethiopian club side has ever won the CAF Champions League or any other international club competitions. The best performances were the semi-final places achieved by the Cotton Factory Club in 1964 and Saint George in 1967.

Largest football stadiums in Ethiopia

#StadiumLocationCapacityHome Team(s)Notes
1 Bahir Dar Stadium Bahir Dar 60,000 National team
2 Tigray Stadium Mekelle 60,000 Mekelle City FC, Dedebit FC, Guna Trading FC, Trans Ethiopia
3 Awassa Kenema Stadium Hawassa 60,000 Hawassa City F.C.

Support

Twitter research from 2015 found that the most popular English Premier League club in Ethiopia was by far Arsenal, with 52% of Ethiopian Premier League fans following the club, followed by Manchester United (22%) and Chelsea (8%). [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopia national football team</span> Mens association football team

The Ethiopia national football team, nicknamed Walia, after the Walia ibex, represents Ethiopia in men's international football and is controlled by the Ethiopian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Ethiopia. The team has been representing Ethiopia in regional, continental, and international competitions since its founding in 1943. The Walias play their home games at Addis Ababa Stadium located in the capital city of Addis Ababa. They are currently ranked 150th in the world according to the FIFA World Rankings and 44th in CAF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addis Ababa Stadium</span> Multi-purpose stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is used mostly for football matches although it also has athletics facilities. The stadium has a capacity of 20,000 people.

The CECAFA Cup, formerly the Gossage Cup (1926–1966) and the East and Central African Senior Challenge Cup (1967–1971), is the oldest football tournament in Africa. It is organized by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint George S.C.</span> Professional association football club based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Saint George Sports Club, otherwise known as Kidus Giorgis, is a professional football club based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They play in the top division of Ethiopian football, the Ethiopian Premier League. Founded in 1935, the club was the first in Ethiopia and was established as a symbol of Ethiopian nationalism and resistance against the occupying forces of fascist Italy.

Milutin Sredojević, is a Serbian football manager.

The Ethiopian Premier League, known as the BetKing Ethiopian Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is the top tier association football league of Ethiopia run by the Ethiopian Premier League Share Company. Established in 1997, it replaced the former first division. Contested by sixteen clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the other secondary and tertiary leagues in Ethiopia. The league has been an annual competition since the 1997–98 season with Saint George emerging as the country's leading club in this era with 15 titles.

The Ethiopian Cup is the top knockout tournament of the Ethiopian football. It was created in 1945.

Mechal Sport Club, officially known as Defence Force Sport Club, is an Ethiopian professional football club based in the city of Addis Ababa. They play in the Betking Ethiopian Premier League, the first division of professional football in Ethiopia. The team, formerly named Army SC and Mechal SC, is the second most decorated club in Ethiopian football history behind Saint George.

Adane Girma is an Ethiopian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was a member of the Ethiopia national team from 2004 to 2014 and scored 9 goals in 45 appearances.

The sport of football in the country of Rwanda is run by the Rwandese Association Football Federation. The association administers the national football team, as well as the Rwandan Premier League. Football is the most popular sport in Rwanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italians of Ethiopia</span> Italian community in Ethiopia

Italians of Ethiopia are Ethiopian-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Ethiopia starting in the 19th century during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Ethiopia</span> Territory of Ethiopian Empire during Italian occupation (1936–1941)

Italian Ethiopia, also known as the Italian Empire of Ethiopia, was the territory of the Ethiopian Empire, which Italy occupied for approximately five years. Italian Ethiopia was not an administrative entity, but the formal name of the former territory of the Ethiopian Empire, which now constituted the Governorates of Amhara, Harar, Galla-Sidamo, and Scioa after the establishment of Italian East Africa.

The 2011–12 Ethiopian Premier League is the season of the Ethiopian Premier League since its establishment in 1944. A total of 14 teams are contesting the league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Getaneh Kebede</span> Ethiopian footballer (born 1992)

Getaneh Kebede Gebeto is an Ethiopian professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains Ethiopian Premier League club Fasil Kenema.

Asrat Haile was an Ethiopian football manager of the country's national team. He was frequently called upon by the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) as a temporary caretaker of the national team, affectionately known as the Walya Antelopes. He managed the team during at least three different time periods in 2001, 2003 and 2004.

The 2006 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, sometimes called the Al Amoudi Senior Challenge Cup due to being sponsored by Ethiopian millionaire Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, was the 30th edition of the international football tournament, which involved teams from Southern and Central Africa. The matches were all played in Addis Ababa from 25 November to 10 December. It was competed between the same teams as the previous tournament, except for Eritrea, who did not enter due to their long-running clash with Ethiopia regarding borders, and Kenya, the five-time champions, were serving a ban which was issued on 18 October 2006, which was then an indefinite from international football by the decree of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA; this after Kenya "regularly violated or ignored" "Fifa's statutes, regulations and decisions". Malawi and Zambia joined the tournament after being invited, and competed as guest teams as they were from the federation Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), whereas the rest of the teams were from the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA). The reasoning behind their invitation was that it would "boost the competitiveness of this year's tournament". The defending champions, Ethiopia, were knocked out in the quarter-finals after coming second in their group, and Sudan claimed their second title despite being beaten by Zambia, as Zambia were guests.

The 2013–14 Ethiopian Premier League is the 68th season of the Ethiopian Premier League since its establishment in 1944. A total of 14 teams are contesting the league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scioa Governorate</span> Administrative division of Italian East Africa (1938-1941)

The Scioa Governorate, also known as the Shewa Governorate, was one of the six governorates of Italian East Africa. It was formed in 1936 from parts of the conquered Ethiopian Empire following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War with its administrative capital being Addis Abeba.

Ali Sulieman Ibrahim is an Eritrean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ethiopian Premier League club Hawassa City and the Eritrea national team.

The 2022 CECAFA U17 Championship was the 5th CECAFA U-17 Championship organized by CECAFA. It took place from October 3 to October 15, 2022 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

References

  1. ↑ "Ethiopia rising by Firdose Moonda". Espn Fc. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  2. ↑ "Ethiopia Reclaiming Their Status As A Football Power | Daily Times Nigeria". Dailytimes.com.ng. 2013-06-06. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  3. ↑ "A Sleeping Giant in African Soccer Is Starting to Stir". The New York Times . October 10, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  4. ↑ video of Littorio's inauguration: http://senato.archivioluce.it/senato-luce/scheda/video/IL5000027374/2/Impero-Italiano-Addis-Abeba.html
  5. ↑ Italian Addisd Abeba
  6. ↑ "Ethiopia - list of champions". Rsssf.com. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  7. ↑ "Ethiopia 1944". Rsssf.com. 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  8. ↑ "Ethiopia - List of Cup Winners". Rsssf.com. 2011-12-12. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  9. ↑ "Ethiopia - ions". Rsssf.com. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  10. ↑ Ethiopia suspended by Fifa from bbc.co.uk
  11. ↑ "FIFA lifts suspension of Ethiopia". Ethiopianreview.com. 2009-07-23. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  12. ↑ "African Nations Cup 1957". Rsssf.com. 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  13. ↑ "African Nations Cup 1959". Rsssf.com. 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  14. ↑ "African Nations Cup 1962". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  15. ↑ "East and Central African Championship (CECAFA)". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  16. ↑ "CECAFA U-20 Competition". CECAFA.net. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  17. ↑ "Which is Africa's favourite Premier League team?". BBC News. 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.