Football consultant and agent David Beshah, who was a former Ethiopian national team member and Ethiopia Coffee fullback and is currently based in Germany, claimed that the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) did not look to scouting foreign based Ethiopian players for the national team, The Reporter has learnt.
After Walias crushing defeat (3-0) by Harambe Stars of Kenya in the fourth round of the AFCON qualifiers, David, in an official statement, told reporters that there is a lack of player scouting from abroad with Ethiopian nationality in order to contest better at an international level.
According to David’s statements, the last two games against Kenya showed once again that EFF urgently needs to establish a scouting department. As an example David stated that Kenya had eight foreign based players in the starting line-up and a minimum of six were on the bench.
“It is the EFF’s responsibility to make sure that when the national team plays, the best Ethiopian players are available from all over the world and are on the pitch. Of course, not every foreign based player is better than the local one, and that’s where the department would step,” he stated.
After the EFF presidential race concluded, David said that he has submitted a written proposal to open a scouting department for foreign based Ethiopian players. However, according to him, nothing has changed and they are not willing to accept scouting proposal. “Indeed, a scouting department includes identifying potential players, evaluation of CVs and videos sent to the scouting department, scouting players in respective countries and monitoring player, fostering contact with players, family, clubs, agents and communities,” he elaborated.
Following the submitted proposal to the EFF, David explained that his Beshah Football Consulting (BFC) Company, which is free of charge, would oversee the process.
“We have already created a database of foreign based Ethiopian players. So, we are ready to work right away,” he added.
Nonetheless, former national team coach, who helped Walias go through to the 2013 AFCON after 31 years, Sewnet Bishaw stated that the executive committees are discussing on the submitted proposal.
“I have got a submitted proposal and it will be a great opportunity for us to strength our squad. But, it has to be decided by the executive committee. So, we are looking forward to it,” technical chairman of the Ethiopian Football Federation, Sewent Bishaw, told The Reporter.
“Though it has been four months, I didn’t get any response from the newly elected EFF president Esayas Jirra,” David explained.
David was born in Germany and spent two years in Ethiopia Coffee before starting the first football consulting company in Addis Ababa. He was recruited by Sewnet Bishaw team years ago. David played a vital role in signing former Ethiopian Coffee midfield Gatouch Panom to Russian side FC Anzhi Makhachkala.
