Addis Ababa’s arch-rivals St. George and Ethiopia Coffee are set to clash Saturday, April 15, 2017 at the National Stadium. The match is expected to draw a huge crowd.
In their previous encounter of round one EPL fixture, Ethiopian Coffee had won 1-0 thanks to Nigerian Eko Favour 26th minute lone goal.
The performance of both clubs is awaited with high eagerness due to their inconsistency. During last week’s match, the Horsemen drew against southern side Wolaita Dicha after they led with a 43-minute goal by Adane Girma. Nine minutes later, Wolaita Dicha’s Abdulsemed Ali scored an equalizer.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia Coffee was defeated by Dire Dawa City 3 to 1 during a week 22nd match. But, St. George has been a better performer than Coffee.
During the first-round EPL season, Coffee ended its matches with a do-or-die performance. After the club fired Serbian manager Nebojša Vučićević and recruited interim coach Gezaghegn Ketema, it won various matches and rose to the top of the table.
St. George’s experienced full back Alula Girma and attacking midfield Behailu Assefa will not be on the lineup because of injury, while Ethiopian Coffee’s midfield Elias Mamo will be out of the line-up for the same reason.
Elsewhere, over the last three weeks, the champions seemed to be not on the right track. Coffee’s inconsistency also lingers. In fact, both of the clubs were inconsistent.
In two-round matches over the last five years of derby matches, both clubs have a matching record, with the Horsemen having a mathematical advantage.
The fierce rivalry between the two sides and the feverishly zealous loyalty and devotion showed by the fans of both clubs towards their storied franchises means emotions will be running high this Saturday at the Addis Ababa Stadium.
