According to the previous schedule, the Ethiopian Premier League was set to start on 30 October but now it is reschedule to start on November 12, 2016.
Addis Ababa (The Ethiopian Herald)–The country’s football governing body, the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF), rescheduled the starting day of the season’s Ethiopian Premier League football club competition for November 12.
According to the previous schedule, the Premier League was set to start on 30 October. The schedule tells that the opening match will take place between the champions St. George FC and Arba-Minch City FC, the last season runners-up Ethiopian Coffee FC and Dedebit FC.
This season the number of the country’s elite league rose to 16 from 14. The official reason is to give wider room for the regional federations.
The newly added elite sides are Jimma Aba Buna FC, Fasil Kenema FC, Addis Ababa Administration FC and Woldiya City FC.
The already existing elite sides are Champions Saint George, the runners up Coffee, Dedebit, Adama City, Mekelakeya, Banks, Electric, Dire Dawa City, Hawasa City, Arba Minch City, Wolayita Dicha and Sidama Coffee.
As part of the preparation for the season’s Ethiopian Premier League football club competition 12 teams have taken part in Hawasa and Addis City Cups tournament. The Hawasa City competition which bought together six teams was concluded a week earlier but the Addis Cup is still in progress.
Critiques argue that the logic of increasing the number of clubs to give wider opportunities to regions will not always produce positive results.
As it was seen in some cases there emerge a disparity among the participating teams. Cases in point: the Southern part of the country has four sides in the elite league; Hawassa City, Sidama City, Wolayita Dicha and Arba Minch City. They have also made good contribution to the national team.
But last when Hosana-Hadiya demoted it was indeed frustrating for their fans because they were demoted in the year they were promoted. The other relegated side were Dashen Brewery FC.
The number of the elite sides increased because four clubs joined the Premier League in place of the two relegated sides.
Read more on The Ethiopian Herald
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