Ethiopian Coffee will host Dire Dawa City and Dedebit will face EEPCO here tomorrow in Week 29 of the Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) competition.

Meanwhile, relegated-threatened Trans Ethiopia will Mugher Cement in Adigrat; bottom of the table Fincha Sugar and Sebeta City will square off in Fincha and Sidama Coffee will travel east to meet Harar Brewery.

The EPL will continue on Thursday where Defence Force accommodates Adama City; St. George entertains Commercial Bank and Lideta Nyala will face Hawassa City.

Terrible Fixtures

Unlike in the past where St. George was declared champion several weeks before the competition concluded, this year’s EPL competition is full of drama and exciting matches. The Top-5 teams are neck in neck with just 3 points separating them with just 2 rounds of play left.

Sadly, the ever-incompetent Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) is messing up the atmosphere by forcing teams to play their last 2 rounds of the competition within a few days apart. This is simply unfair for both those 5 teams at the top and those at the bottom, who are fighting relegation.

For example St. George will play Commercial Bank on Thursday and Fincha Sugar on Saturday, with just one day of rest in between. And then, the team will fly to Moro, Tanzania on Saturday night, where it will compete in the 2011 CECAFA Kagame Clubs Championship. The team will play against Ulinzi of Kenya on Monday, June 27.

Final Matches on Monday?

Whoever heard of a league final matches being played on a Monday? Unless the government gives workers a day off. Four of the Top-5 contenders (excluding St. George) will play on that day. Even weird is the fact that St. George, who will conclude its league matches on Saturday, will not even be in the country should the team wins the league title.

The CECAFA tournament will be held in Tanzania from June 25 – July 9.



Week 29

Wednesday June 22
Trans – Mugher 3pm

Fincha Sugar – Sebeta Kenema 6pm

Harar Beer – Sidama Coffee 4pm
EEPCO – Dedebit 4pm
Ethiopia Coffee – Dire Dawa 6pm

Thursday June 23
Defence – Adama 3pm (Abebe Bikila Stadium?)
Commercial Bank – St. George 2pm
Lideta Nyala – Hawassa Kenema 4pm

Week 30 (last games of the season)
Saturday June 25
St. George – Fincha Sugar 3pm
Lideta Nyala – Commercial Bank 5pm

Monday June 27
Sebeta Kenema – Harar Beer 3pm
Adama – Hawassa Kenema 3pm
Dire Dawa – EEPCO 4pm
Trans – Sidama Coffee 3pm
Ethiopia Coffee – Mugher 3pm
Dedebit – Defence 5pm


Source: http://www.ethiosports.com/