Ethiopia: Premier League Competition to Start End of Next Month

By Yared Gebremeden

The season's Ethiopian Premier League soccer club competition is set to start on October 30, the country's football governing body, the Ethiopian Football Federation, (EFF) announced.

According to the schedule the champions St. George will face Arba-Minch City and the last season runners-up Coffee will take on Dedebit in their first day match on October 30, 2016.

In the past before the season's elite league starts, the opening matches are set to take place in the home and away Super Cup competition. The Super Cup matches take place between the elite league champions and knock out title holders. The Super Cup began in the 1984/5 Ethiopian season.

Last season St. George were the double winners. They took the knock out cup beating Mekelakeya.

As per the EFF reviewed regulation when one team become double winner, the Super Cup matches will take place between the champions and the runners-up of the season.

Accordingly the season's opening match is to take place between St. George and Coffee but it was not to be so.

The last season second round match between St. George and Coffee was interrupted due to violence. As a result Coffee were penalized and St. George got forfeiture.

It seems the federation opted to cancel the Super Cup fearing a possible violent confrontation if the two sides meet again. Due to this the season's competition will directly start by the elite league matches.

This season the number of the country's elite league rose to 16 from 14. The official reason for the increase of numbers is not yet given.

Some football fans suggest that the logic of extending the game is to give wider opportunities to regions. Well, the Southern part of the country produced more than four competing sides: Hawassa City, Sidama City, Wolayita Dicha and Arba-Minch City. They have also made good contribution to the national team.

But the shortfall is that the regions usually failed to challenge experienced teams from Addis or the south. This season Hosanna-Hadiya were relegated conceding defeat after defeat. That was frustrating for their fans.

When the last season competition came to a close two clubs - Hosaina-Hadiya and Dashen Brewery - were demoted from the elite league. Hosanna were the bottom side all through to the end. Dashen's fate was decided in the last premier league match.

But in place of the two relegated clubs the EFF decided to add four clubs - Jimma Ababuna, Facil City, Addis Ababa Administration and Woldiya City - to join the elite league in the next season.

This will bring the number of Premier League clubs to 16. This means the cost of the competition will dramatically rise. The financial burden of the clubs will, accordingly, become huge.

The intention of the federation is to make the number of elite league participating teams 18 like it is in the European league. In Europe the league competition is profitable but in the Ethiopian case the cost of the league is much higher than the revenue it brings in. Considering this many clubs already complain that the home and away league competition consume a huge some of money. Sources close to different clubs confirm that each premier league club has over 10 million Birr annual budget this time. This budget covers the cost of 22 home and away matches and the Ethiopian knock out contest.

When the number of participants increases to 16, each club will have 30 matches in two rounds. There will be an addition of 8 matches. This will incur a substantial cost increase on each club.

There is an attempt by the federation to share this cost through sponsorship deal. Though failed, last year the federation tried to have sponsors for the premier league. Big efforts are underway to get sponsors for the premier league this season.

Will this strengthen the local competition? One can't tell for sure that the increasing number of premier league sides will strengthen the competition. Tradition has it that if all of them have equal standing the competition will be strong. If not, the contest will be boring.

Woldiya City will have their modern stadium in Wildiya. That will surely make the city of Woldiya a bit attractive when big matches are played there.

The hope of the organizing body is the expanded elite league will create attractive atmosphere in this season. When the number of clubs increase there is also a danger of facing frustration at the same time.