2012/13 Premier league “Meles Cup” season kicks-off Saturday

The 2012/13 Ethiopian premier league “Meles Cup” championship brings city rivals Saint George and Ethiopian Coffee in a head-on clash  for the  season’s opening weekend showdown. Runner-up Dedebit FC travels to  Yirgalem to face Sidama Coffeewhile newcomers Water Sport,  in their first-ever premier league match, is set to play against third place Electric FC. 

The new season,  dedicated to the late Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, brings together 14 teams, including newcomers Insurance and Water Sport, for  fixtures to be conducted in two rounds. With eight teams from Addia Ababa, three from SNNPR, two from Oromia and one from Harar in contention, the new season is expected to bring the best out the players and fans,  following the superb triumph that the Ethiopian national team had against its neighbour, Sudan. The discipline and support of the great fans coupled with the determination of our players is something that will not be forgotten in a long time.  Of the fourteen,  two teams, Saint George and Electric, have foreign head coaches hailing from Germany and Bulgaria respectively, while more than a dozen foreign  players are taking part in the league this season.  Saint George and Electric,  so far, have four foreign players each,  while Dedebit  has bought three,  Saint George, Ethiopian Coffee, Sidama Coffee, Commercial Banks, Sidama Coffee and Harar Brewery all came to the season with new head coaches. Back  in the upper tier, Insurance is led by the  popular head coach Asrat Haile.  After a long absence t from the league, Berhane Gebregziabher, is back, leading the newly promoted Water Sport.