Week 14 of Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) is to be held across the country the coming Monday and Tuesday. Adama City is to face Defense, league topper Saint George is to entertain Addis Ababa City, and Dedebit is to travel to southern Ethiopia to play against Sidama Coffee.
Two weeks before the end of the first-round, EPL matches look tighter every week, and the newcomers succeeded in one side while in the other side there were no easy games. Over the last three weeks, Fasil City has showed consistent performance in home and away matches.
Week 14 fixtures will be vital to end the first-round matches. Saint George has returned to winning ways while newcomer Woldia City won Jimma Aba Bunna for the first time in an away match. Adane Girma’s only goal enabled the Horsemen to lead the table again. Saint George will face Addis Ababa City Monday at Addis Ababa Stadium. Addis Abba City was not in the right track over the last 13 weeks.
Addis Ababa outfit coach, Seyoum Kebede, revealed the plan to come back with a new playing tactic in the second round. But, whether they return with the same style remains to be seen. The city is placed 16th with only eight points. Meanwhile, the Blues will travel to the south Ethiopia to face Sidama Coffee. Both clubs are fighting for the top four with solitary three point variance. Win for Sidama Coffee will enable them to sit with matching point with Blues on the toppers.
In another place, the clash between Adama and Defense is also expected at Adama Abebe Bikila Stadium. Last week’s EPL match between Adama and Dedebit ended in a disappointing draw. Hawassa City and Dire Dawa City settled for a stalemate in Hawassa.
Arba Minch City crushed Sidama Coffee 3-1 in the Debub derby encounter in Arba Minch. Tadele Mengesha put the Crocodiles ahead in the 18th minute through a clinical finish outside the box after collecting a pass from midfielder Wendmeneh Zerihun. Wendmeneh teed up GebremikaelYacob for Arba Minch’s second 7 minutes later.
It is Gebremikael’s fifth goal of the season. A foul on Addis Gidey rewarded the Yirgalem outfit a penalty and Abebe Tilahun made no mistake to pull one back just before the end of the first interval. Sidama Coffee pushed for the equalizer but got punished when Tsegaye Abera sealed victory in the 70th minute.
Abdulkerim Nikima and Tesfaye Melaku were dismissed just before the end of the normal time as Saint George prevailed 1-0 against Electric. Adane Girma struck the solitary goal minutes after the resumption of the half following a goalkeeping blunder by Electric’s Ghanaian custodian Soulimana Aboubakheri. Adane has so far scored 6 goals in this campaign.
Saint George lead the table with 25 points. Adama city tabled with the same points second. Dedebit follow with 24 and Sidama with 21 points respectively.
Week 14 EPL Fixtures
Monday January 30
17:30 Ethiopia Coffee vs. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
Tuesday January 31
16:00 Dire Dawa vs. Fasil City
15:00 Adama City vs. Defense
15:00 Sidama Coffee vs. Dedebit
15:00 Woliata Dicah vs. Arba Minch City
17:30 Saint George vs. Addis Ababa City
15:00 Woldia City vs. Electric
15:00 Hawasa City vs. Jimma Aba Buna
