THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018
Compiled by Solomon Bekele
In Brief
National football team
to start preparation
shortly, EFF President
ADDIS ABABA – The former national
football team coach Sewnet Bishaw was
given full responsibility to come with an
idea how to reorganize the national team for
the remaining African Nations Cup qualifiers,
the newly appointed Ethiopian Football
Federation President, EFF, Isayas Jira told
journalists.
According to the President based on the
new idea that will be presented by Sewnet,
the EFF will try to figure out what to do and
how to act concerning national team. In his
view the national team will start preparation
in the coming few days based on the
recommendation given by the former coach.
Following the resignation of Coach
Ashenafi Bekele, the national side remained
without coach. The focus of the EFF in the
last three or more months was on the election
of new President and executive members.
That was completed last week Sunday at
Semera, the Afar regional state capital.
Election took place in the presence of FIFA
observers.
Lucy Concede
defeat, but hope of
qualification still alive
ADDIS ABABA – The Ethiopian women’s
national football team, commonly called Lucy,
conceded a 3­2 defeat in the second leg of
the African Cup qualifiers on Sunday at the
Addis Ababa stadium at the hands of the
Algerian side.
In the first leg held in Algiers Lucy were
defeated 3­1. The Algerian side had a 6­3
aggregate result.
But the national side filed against Algeria
for fielding ineligible players in the first leg
held in Algiers. If the African football
governing body, CAF, confirms that the
Algerian side brought to the field ineligible
player the national side will get forfeiture.
That will enable them (Lucy) to qualify for
the African Cup that will take place in Ghana.
When the national side earned a 15­0
aggregate result over Libya many thought
that advancing in to the African Cup finals
would be possible beating Algeria but Lucy
suffered defeat in both home and away
matches.
World Cup to kick
off Thursday in
Moscow
ADDIS ABABA – The 2018 FIFA
World Cup is set to kick off the coming
Thursday in a match between Russia and
Saudi Arabia at the newly renovated
Luzhniki stadium in Moscow in the
presence of Russian President Vladimir
Putin.
This will be the 21st World Cup. The
first took place in Uruguay in 1930. Except
during the World War II the World Cup
has never been interrupted. The world’s
great sports event will stay in action for
the coming 30 days. Thirty two teams will
compete for the prestigious trophy. Brazil
and Germany are the hot favoutites to take
title.
The world football governing body,
FIFA, introduced heavy penalty if the
crowed insults players in connection to
their race. This regulation is introduced
for the first time in 88 years. The People
of Russia are warned not violate this strict
regulation.
Meseret Defar wins women's
ADDIS ABABA – The two­time Olympic
gold medalist Ethiopian Meseret Defar won
the women's Synchrony Rock 'n' Roll San
Diego Half Marathon on Sunday with a
consummate ease at a time of one hour, eight
minutes and 26 seconds leaving behind Jane
Kibii of Kenya, who clocked 1:12:00 to take
the second place. Kaitlyn James of Cuyahoga
Falls, Ohio, was third in 1:13:54.
In the men’s event Titus Ekiru won the
men's race in 1:01:02, 16 seconds ahead of
Feyisa Lilesa who won the silver medal in
the marathon at the Rio Olympics. Josphat
Kipchirchir of Kenya was third in 1:02:21.
It was expected that Feyisa would take this
title with little difficulty but the Kenyan
surprised the crowed with unexpected victory
in his debut.
The elite runners in the half and full
marathon were finished long before the race
was halted for about 10 minutes and rerouted
after a police officer accidentally shot himself
in the leg while pursuing a hit­and­run suspect
who pointed a weapon at police and was
eventually arrested on the roof of a parking
structure near the finish line in downtown.
The incident brought havoc for the
contenders and the organizers but it was
confirmed the race was completed without
any disturbance.
What next?
Meseret got this big win after she was
sidelined from international races due a
sustained injury for the last two years.
She said that this is a good beginning
after two years interval. “Hereafter I will shift
my event to marathon. My era of track race
is over with two Olympic gold medals and
other big wins in the international arena. For
me and my country the two Olympic medals
were big achievements. I hope I will try to
register equally shining result in the Olympic
and the World Championship in Marathon,”
Once again national football side slide in
June world FIFA Rankings
ADDIS ABABA – Once again the
Ethiopian national football side went down
to take 151st position in the June FIFA
world rankings that was announced on
Thursday. In May and April the Ethiopian
standing were 146th and145th, in the order
of that
This was another big blow in the span
of 30 days. This steady downward
movement has remained unchanged for
the last 9 or so months.
The Ethiopian team African position
has also gone down to the 42nd place.
Last month they were 41st.
Look at the March FIFA rankings: The
Ethiopian national football team has
suffered the first blow in FIFA’s March
rankings when they were down to 137th
position in the world after dropping two
places and are 39th on the continent. In
the February rankings Ethiopia remained
39th in Africa and 135th globally.
Right after the country qualified for
the African Nations Cup for the first time
in 31 years in October 2012, they ranked
102 in the world moving up 16 places.
Comparing to that, Ethiopia’s current
151st position is disappointing. Ethiopia’s
best position was registered in 2006 when
it ranked 92nd. The only other time
Ethiopia broke in the top 100 was back
in 1993 ranking 96. Ethiopia had also the
95th position. These positions were seen
as signs of improvement.
PAGE 8
half marathon
Meseret at the crossing line
Meseret said after victory. After Athens she was highly expected to combination of different problems including
In her view when an athlete is out of repeat that feat in Beijing Olympics in 2008 health forced her to miss that great opportunity.
contest for so long it is difficult to come back but to no avail. She remembers that big miss with
and register good results. “I had that fear Instead Tirunesh Dibaba made historic remorse. “I had the gut and power to go in
when I was registered for this event. I knew gain by winning the 5, 000m and 10, 000m to Rio but the circumstance didn’t allow
that I had fully recovered from my leg injury double Olympic medals in her debut. me. I tried up to the limit to keep up the
but despite that no one knows what will Despite that failure Meseret made a name of the country in Olympics. It was not
happen in the middle of the race. In my case
nothing happened. I began and finished with
remarkable comeback at the London
Olympics to regain her 5, 000m Olympic
possible to make it. Currently I feel that I
will do everything possible to appear for
comfortable footsteps. It was very wonderful title for the second time forcing Tirunesh Tokyo Olympics. That is the golden
except that disturbing incident,” Meseret to take the third place. Opportunity to show my full capacity with
reiterated. The accident of the police One can see from this that Meseret has win in marathon,” she said.
happened after the elite race was completed. the capacity to rejuvenate herself within Concluding remarks
Ups and downs of Meseret 8­year intervals. In her athletics career her This time the veteran athletes are coming
In her remarkable achievements in her victories include the World championship up with impressive performance. Tirunesh
20 or so years athletics career, Meseret had and other international big meets in 10, Dibaba has been doing pretty excellent in
a number of ups and downs. 000m, 5, 000m, 3, 000m and 2, 000m. marathon. Kenenisa Bekele is struggling to
She earned her first Olympic gold medal Future plan do something substantial in marathon. Now
in Athens in 2004 in 5, 000m. Kenenisa Meseret has in mind that she will Meseret Defar is in the making. The
Bekele also got his 10, 000m gold in Athens. represent the country in marathon in the expectation is that the reemergence of the old
For both Athens that was the beginning of 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She had a plan to guard gives impetus to the young athlete to
their shining victory at the Olympics. take part in the Rio Olympics but a fill the gap with extraordinary vigour.
to position 21 currently.
The North Africans are however still the
best ranked side on the continent, ahead of
Senegal and the Democratic Republic of
Congo.
On the brighter side for Tunisia however,
they are not the team that deteriorated most
from the continent.
Guinea Bissau is Africa’s biggest loser
in the new rankings, losing ground to the
tune of 17 positions (from 104 – 121).
Rwanda also lost ground, sliding from 123
– 136.
The biggest gainers from the continent
were Madagascar (from 114 – 106) and the
Central African Republic (115 – 108).
In the overall rankings, current world
champions Germany retained their position
The brave Ethiopian boys who defeated the Sudanese Falcons in Addis Ababa with at the top ahead of Brazil and Belgium.
2­0 margin to qualify for the African Nations Cup for the first time in 31 years Following the resignation of Ashenafi
Bekele, a new head coach has not been
With one week to the start of the 2018 one place to 112, Tanzania dropped by 3 appointed for the national side since
World Cup in Russia, the FIFA monthly places to 140, Burundi dropped by two slots December. The country’s football governing
rankings showed that Uganda dropping to 148 and Rwanda down to 136 by 13 body, Ethiopian Football Federation, is
eight places to position 82. places. currently working towards the appointment
The Cranes now have a total of 403 Eritrea, South Sudan, Djibouti and of a new national coach.
points, a fall from last month’s 426 points, Somalia are in the least row of the FIFA Reigning World champions Germany
and are now 17th in Africa. go into the tournament as the number one
world rankings.
The drop by the Uganda Cranes comes World Cup bound Tunisia has lost team in while hosts Russia will be the lowest­
as a result of failing to win in two friendly ground in the latest FIFA rankings released ranked team in the tournament at 70th.
games, a 1­0 loss to Central African just a week before the start of the world’s Brazil, Belgium, Portugal and Argentina
Republic and 2­1 to Niger. biggest football competition. complete the top five while the only change
However, Uganda remains the best in The Eagles of Carthage slipped down in the top 10 sees Poland up two places to
East Africa after neighboring Kenya dropped the pecking order, from position 14 in May eighth in a straight swap with Spain.
BERHANENA SELAM PRINTING ENTERPRISE