Thursday, February 28, 2008

Ethiopia rejects calls to reinstate federation president

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFA) rejected on Thursday a move by FIFA to reinstate the group's ousted president calling the decision biased and one-sided.

The EFA's general assembly fired former President Asheber Woldegiorgise in January for what they said was the "dismal" record of Ethiopian football.

"FIFA officials had taken hasty decision before properly assessing the facts and documents submitted by us. Their decision was biased and one-sided," EFA said in a statement.

"We are now trying to develop a sustainable project that would enhance the standard of football in Ethiopia from the current dismal position to a high level, and we hoped FIFA would stand at our side," it said.

FIFA was not immediately available to comment. (Reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse, editing by Miles Evans)

Kenyan athlete Chepkemei to serve out full ban

NAIROBI (AFP) - Kenya will not appeal against a one-year ban handed to former three-times World half-marathon Susan Chepkemei, athletics officials said on Thursday.

Athletics Kenya secretary David Okeyo said the 32-year-old athlete, who tested positive for salbutamol last September, was lucky to have escaped with a lenient sentence because of her acceptance that she had taken a medication containing the banned drug to treat pneumonia.

"Chepkemei was very open and that is why we gave her a one-year suspension," said Okeyo. "Some athletes are punished for four years or even for life."

Okeyo said Chepkemei, who is expecting her first child, would have to go through another testing after she finishes her suspension term.

He added the long distance runner is also expected to forfeit all her earnings from the races she took part since September.

Chepkemei took part in the second World Road Running championships in Udine, Italy last October which she failed to finish.

She becomes the third Kenyan athlete to test positive for banned drugs in the last two years.

Monday, February 25, 2008

ATHLETICS: Ethiopians steal the show at regional cross country

Story by NATION Correspondent
Publication Date: 2/26/2008

Kenyan athletes were humiliated by their Ethiopian counterparts at the East Africa cross country competition in Moshi over the weekend as the perennial rivals clashed just a month to the World Cross Country Championship in Edinburgh.

Ethiopia’s Ahasa Kiros and Bilahum Regassa were crowned new regional champions after they won the women’s 8km and men’s 12km senior races respectively.

The best Kenyans in the two events were Ann Cheptanui and Julius Kiptoo, each settling for fourth place.

Ethiopia were hence crowned the new regional champions, having amassed a total of 46 points against Kenya’s 50.

Uganda finished third.

The result reflects the poor preparations Kenya’s athletes have had largely due to the post-election violence.

“Moreover, they were fatigued after travelling for long periods from their rural homes to Nairobi and then on to Moshi,” said Gideon Chirchir, the team’s head coach.

He said that despite having missed out on the medals, the Kenyan athletes showed they are able to contest when called on short notice.

The team that was in Moshi was hand-picked just a week before the event. “The post election violence had made it difficult for athletes to move around and train, hence their performance in Moshi will be a big effort and commitment,” added Chirchir.

Kiros guided the Ethiopian onslaught to a podium sweep as Kenya relinquished its grip on the women title.

Kiros clocked 27:41.9 minutes to finish ahead of compatriot Amane Gobena (27:43.9) while Mantu Daska took the bronze in 27:44.9 minutes.

Ann Cheptanui was the top ranked Kenyan in the senior women’s race clocking 27:52.4 minutes ahead of Alematu Ahera of Ethiopia (28:01.5) and Eunice Mumbwa (28:13.7).

Home fans

In the men’s 12km race, Regassa was in a class of his won as he led from start to finish, crossing the finish line after 36:32.6 minutes ahead of compatriot Apiyot Girma (36:45.5).

Tanzania’s Jumanne Tnuwayi gave the home fans something to cheer for as he sprinted to the bronze medal in 36:53.0 minutes.

Kenya’s Julius Kiptoo came in fourth, clocking 37:08.7 minutes ahead of Tanzanian Isaya Beengwa (37:14.13).

Other Kenyans - Paul Kimugul (37:21.4), Amos Limakori (37:22.55) and Ezekiel Cherop (37:26.64) - settled for the sixth, seventh and eighth slots respectively.

Juliet Chekwel helped Uganda to a junior women bronze medal finish at the regional meeting.

The event served as a build-up to the World Cross Country Championships and attracted six of the 10 countries in the region.

February 25th, 2008FIFA and CAF resolve Ethiopian soccer sqabble

governing body, FIFA, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have moved to stop the management crisis dogging the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF), according to a joint statement from the two bodies.

To set the ball rolling, the federations said they had decided to establish a road-map geared towards normalising the situation at EFF “and bring back unity in the Ethiopian football community.”

FIFA said after hearing the parties embroiled in a leadership wrangle in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, it together with CAF did not recognise decisions taken by one of the factions during the “so called general assemblies the faction convened in Addis Ababa on 29 January, 2008’’.

The Zurich meeting was chaired by CAF President Issa Hayatou and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke.

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Sunday, February 24, 2008

Ethiopia blows past Japan

Ken Marantz / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter

As they showed Sunday, no lead is safe from the Ethiopians.

Workitu Ayanu passed Japan's Tomomi Yuda in the third stage and Ethiopia cruised to nearly a two-minute victory in a wind-swept Yokohama International Women's Ekiden.

"I don't want to run behind another runner, so I had to go forward," the 20-year-old Ayanu said. "I had to make some distance [between us] and make an effort for the group."

Wude Ayalew, Genet Getaneh and anchor Makda Harun posted the top times in their stages as the African powerhouse, which included Bizunesh Urgesa and Yimenashu Taye, won the six-leg race in 2 hours 14 minutes 47 seconds to add to the title it won in 2004.

Host Japan, which got stage victories from leadoff runner Yuriko Kobayashi and Misaki Katsumata in the fifth leg, placed second in 2:16:41, with two-time defending champion Russia lagging well behind in third in 2:20:47.

Kyushu finished fourth in 2:21:45 in the annual race between seven national and seven Japan regional teams that started and ended at the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama's waterfront Minato Mirai district.

On a clear but crisp 6 C day with winds gusting up to 10 mps, Kobayashi gave Japan the lead by clocking 15:04 in the 5-kilometer first leg, winning the stage award for the first time in three attempts. Urgesa was fifth, 26 seconds back.

"I was able to run at a 3-minute [per km] pace and achieve my goal of running better than the Olympic 'A' standard for 5,000 meters [on the track], so I'm very satisfied," said Kobayashi, the national record-holder in the 1,500 meters.

An intense duel developed in the 10-km second leg, when Ethiopia's Ayalew quickly erased the deficit and momentarily passed Japan's "Mama Runner" Yukiko Akaba.

But Akaba, the anchor on Japan's winning team at last October's Chiba ekiden, kept her composure and fought off the challenge to give Yuda the sash with a 24-second cushion.

"She caught up to me faster than I expected," said Akaba, who skipped last season to give birth before returning to the sport, a rarity in Japan. "My pace to 5 km was slow, so I knew I could pick it up."

Yuda, however, proved no match for Ayanu, who whizzed by nearly halfway through the 6-km third stage and sent off Getaneh, a member of the 2004 champion team, with a 13-second lead that she expanded to over a minute.

The fierce wind proved divine for the third-stage runners, as it was behind them most of the way and pushed four under the meet record. Russia's lone bright spot, Maria Konovalova, claimed the new mark with a time of 18:10, 10 seconds better than Ayanu and 48 better than the previous best set in 2005 by Japan's Kazue Ogoshi.

A notable performance was turned by marathoner Mari Ozaki, who, running leadoff for the Kinki region, finished second behind Kobayashiin 15:21.

The 32-year-old Ozaki, a national team member at the last two world championships, is taking a break from the marathon and will focus on track events this year--but not just yet. "I've been married a year now and I'm finally going to go on a honeymoon," said Ozaki, who will soon be jetting off to Paris with her husband on a six-day trip.
(Feb. 25, 2008)

Ethiopia dethrones Russia at Yokohama Women’s Ekiden

Running away from Japan in the third of six stages and never relinquishing their lead again, Ethiopia won the 2008 Yokohama Women’s Ekiden, a Marathon distance ekiden on Sunday (24 Feb).

For Ethiopia, it was their second victory in the Yokohama Ekiden, having won the event previously in 2004. The day was very windy but their winning time, 2:14:47, was one second faster than the winning time of the Russian team from the last year. Finishing second, one place higher but more than 30 seconds slower than last year, was the host nation Japan. The defending champions Russia finished third, their worst finish since 2003.

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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Meseret leads Ethiopia world indoor squad

PARIS: Ethiopia's double women's world 3,000 metres indoor champion Meseret Defar leads a seven-strong squad for the World Indoor Championships at Valencia on March 7-9.

However, the men's reigning world 3,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele will not be defending his title in Spain, though, his brother Tariku will be at the championships and compete in the 3,000m.

Bekele, the 10,000m Olympic champion and triple world title-holder, is in good form, having run the world's fastest ever two-miles race in 8:4.34s in Birmingham, England, on Saturday.

Tariku, who was fifth at the outdoor World Championships in Japan last year over 5,000m, has posted the best time over 3,000m this winter (7:31.09s).

The women's 3,000m runners in Valencia will be Meseret, who holds the world record of 8:23.72s and the best time in the world this year of 8:27.93.


* NAIROBI: Kenya's rising 800m star Richard Kiplagat will partner reigning champion Wilfred Bungei at next month's World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, it was announced here on Monday.

The 26-year-old US university graduate, Kiplagat showed his credentials when he ran the third fastest 800m time in the world this year by clocking 1:46.33 at the Norwich Union Indoor Grand Prix at Birmingham last Saturday. -- AFP

Rayon Pray for Home Victory against Harer Beer for Confederation Cup

Rayon Sport has remained positive ahead of their in the Confederations Cup second leg tie against Ethiopia's Harar Beer on March 11.

Rayon assistant coach Thierry Hitimana said on Tuesday after the team's arrival from Ethiopia that the team had struggled in Ethiopia.

"We never played well in Ethiopia but playing at home is an added advantage on every team," Hitimana said.

The blues also blamed the weather conditions in Ethiopia saying that the strong winds and excessive heat affected the players.

The striking partnership of Jimmy Gatete and Labama Kamana Bokota failed to produce any convincing positive results for the blues.

The blues had last competed in continental championship in 2006 where they fell 1-3 aggregate to Egypt's Al Ittihad Al-Iskandary. They (Rayon) had won the preliminary round by defeating Ethiopia's Awassa City 2-0 on goal aggregates.

The blues never took part in the 2007 edition after finishing third in the Primus national football league giving a chance to Atraco to make their maiden appearance in the continental championship. Rayon must win the return leg against Ethiopian side by 3-0 to ensure their qualification to second round appearance where they face Sudanese giants Al Merreikh.

Rayon's loss to Harar Beer came a day after APR had lost 1-2 to El Zamalek of Egypt at Nyamirambo stadium.

Second leg : March 1

Rayon v Harar Beer

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Ethiopia’s Bekele runs indoor world best for two miles

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele set a world best for the men’s indoor two miles of eight minutes 4.35 seconds at a meeting in Birmingham, England, on Saturday.

Bekele’s time was faster than the 8:04.69 mark set by fellow Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie in 2003.

“I’m very pleased. It’s incredible for me,” Bekele, the world and Olympic 10,000 meters champion, told BBC television.

Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure won the men’s 60 meters in 6.56 seconds, with Briton Simeon Williamson in second in a personal best time of 6.57.








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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Egypt coach applauds historic win

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata praised his side for successfully defending their Africa Cup of Nations title despite being unfancied to win in west Africa.

“Ghana was always going to be difficult with so many strong teams (south of the Sahara), but we did well,” he said.

The Pharaohs’ secured a record-breaking sixth title with a 1-0 win over Cameroon in the Accra final.

“We tried to take the game with good football, for Egypt and for the fans, and it proved enough to win,” he added.

The victory meant Shehata joins an exclusive club of two coaches who have won back-to-back titles.

The defending champions ensured the win when Mohamed Zidan forced an error from Cameroon captain Rigobert Song to play in Mohamed Aboutrika for the only goal of the game.

And Aboutrika said he hoped they could take their dominance into the build up towards the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

“We are delighted to win. It’s a great achievement,” said the Al Ahly star.

“It is a great feeling to score for the country, but it’s not about me scoring goals but it’s about all the players and the 80 million people supporting us back home.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win the tournament away from home,” said Aboutrika.

“It’s even better to win it two times in a row.”

After beating Cameroon in their opening group game, Shehata’s men recorded victories over Sudan, Angola and then Ivory Coast in the semi-finals.

The only minor blemish on an otherwise perfect passage to the continental trophy was the 1-1 draw with Zambia.


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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Cameroon ready for Ghana test

Cameroon coach Otto Pfister
Cup of Nations, semi-final
Date: Thursday 7 February
Kick-off: 1700 GMT
Venue: Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra
BBC Coverage: BBC Sport website, live on BBCi at 1645 GMT; Live commentary on BBC World Service radio in Africa

Michael Essien will captain the Black Stars in the absence of the suspended John Mensah.

Russia-based defender Shilla Illiasu has been passed fit for the game, but coach Claude LeRoy is yet to decide who will take Mensah's place.

Both coaches have previously been in charge of their opponents.

LeRoy led Cameroon to their 1988 Nations Cup title, while Indomitable Lions coach Otto Pfister took Ghana to second place in 1992.

Ghana have the advantage of an extra day's rest, having beaten Nigeria in the quarter-finals on Sunday, a day before Cameroon's bruising 120-minute clash with Tunisia.

Cameroon have also had to contend with switching hotels in Accra after the players were unhappy with the standard of accommodation when they arrived there on Tuesday afternoon.

Despite the unwanted distractions, Pfister believes his side can upset the hosts.

"I will tactically paralyse the Black Stars in Thursday's match," he said.
After every game we think, 'it can't get any better', but it's like the sky's the limit at the minute

"I have a track record in this tournament and my primary objective is to beat Ghana."

Like Cameroon, Ghana have improved through the tournament.

Lifted by the home crowd and playing with 10 men, they showed resolve in their 2-1 win over Nigeria.

And striker Junior Agogo, who scored the winning goal, is enjoying the Black Stars' run.

"Over here football is the be-all and end-all, so when we play it helps people to forget about their worries in their life and it brings so many people together," he told BBC Sport.

"It gives us that extra energy to go out and play hard.

"After every game we think, 'it can't get any better', but it's like the sky's the limit at the minute."

Le Roy believes that this stage of the competition is particularly difficult.


Wakapen

"In every big competition, the hardest part is always the semi-final," he said.

"It's the most difficult step to take. Psychologically it's a difficult hurdle to get over, we have to be wary of it."

"Remember the last World Cup, (hosts) Germany thought they had done the hardest part but eventually lost in semi-final."

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

A big league for Ethiopian soccer

A new soccer league season comprising 27 sides kicks-off today at Addis Ababa stadium.

Following the National Football Federation national assembly’s over throwing off former EFF president Dr Asheber, the newly elected executive body announced that a new league including both the runaway teams and those that have been competing this season has been launched. All are now under one big umbrella that brings together twenty seven clubs and ready for a one round league season fixture that takes from eight to ten weeks.
EFF vice president Ato Teka Asfaw stated that it took a lengthy discussion with concerned clubs to reach to the ground breaking agreement which culminated in a win- win situation for all partners.

According to the new format the already nine fixtures old 14 clubs tournament resumes as of today adding the thirteen run away clubs to the total of twenty seven. Those already in action are to play seventeen matches each while the run away clubs play twenty six matches apiece. At the end of the tournament the first fourteen clubs plus two others promoted from the national league form a sixteen clubs’ 2001 Ethiopian premier league season. The remaining thirteen clubs go down to join the national league for the new season.

Source: The Capital Newspaper
http://www.capitalethiopia.com/archive/2008/february/sport.htm

Africa:Cross-country runners ready for Ethiopia

South Africa's preparation for the World Cross-Country Championships enters a crucial stage when some of the country's leading athletes compete at the 34th Janmeda International Cross-Country Championships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday.

The annual event is coupled with the Ethiopia National Cross-Country Championships, and serves as Ethiopia's trials to select their team for the IAAF World Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland, on March 30.

"This is the kind of competition I need to prove that I can hold my own against the best in the world. As I focus my training for the world championships, this race is a brilliant test run," said Boy Soke, who hails from the Free State.

The two-time South African senior men's champion will also be defending his title at the regional championships in Lusaka, Zambia, on February 23.

Other athletes scheduled to compete in the senior men's 12km in Addis Ababa are Stephen Mokoka (Athletics Vaal Triangle), Tshamano Setone (Central Gauteng Athletics) and Siyabonga Nkonde (KwaZulu-Natal Athletics).

Marlise Nicolette Retief (Gauteng North), Ledile Violet Raseboya and Nicoleen van Rooyen, both from Central Gauteng, will be vying for success in the women's 8km.

Those set for the junior men's 8km race are Senzo Mandla Nkosi (KwaZulu-Natal), Sityhilo Diko (Transkei), Enoch Manyandi (Central Gauteng) and Khuthatso Voight Mokone (Free State), while Nandipha Patience Dywili and Pono Selina Mofokeng will sweat it out in the junior women's 6km. They are from Transkei and Vaal Triangle respectively. -- Sapa

Ghana v Cameroon

Cup of Nations, semi-final
Date: Thursday 7 February
Kick-off: 1700 GMT
Venue: Ohene Djan Sports Stadium, Accra


Michael Essien will captain the Black Stars in the absence of the suspended John Mensah.

Russia-based defender Shilla Illiasu has been passed fit for the game, but coach Claude LeRoy is yet to decide who will take Mensah's place.

Both coaches have previously been in charge of their opponents.

LeRoy led Cameroon to their 1988 Nations Cup title, while Indomitable Lions coach Otto Pfister took Ghana to second place in 1992.

Ghana have the advantage of an extra day's rest, having beaten Nigeria in the quarter-finals on Sunday, a day before Cameroon's bruising 120-minute clash with Tunisia.

Cameroon displayed great physical strength in that game, and Pfister believes his side can upset the hosts.

"I will tactically paralyse the Black Stars in Thursday's match," he said.
After every game we think, 'it can't get any better', but it's like the sky's the limit at the minute

Junior Agogo

"I have a track record in this tournament and my primary objective is to beat Ghana."

Like Cameroon, Ghana have improved through the tournament.

Lifted by the home crowd and playing with 10 men, they showed resolve in their 2-1 win over Nigeria.

Striker Junior Agogo, who scored the winning goal, is enjoying the Black Stars' run.

"Over here football is the be-all and end-all, so when we play it helps people to forget about their worries in their life and it brings so many people together," he told BBC Sport.

"It gives us that extra energy to go out and play hard.

"After every game we think, 'it can't get any better', but it's like the sky's the limit at the minute."

Le Roy believes that this stage of the competition is particularly difficult.

606: DEBATE
The Black Stars are gelling and peaking from match to match. They are still the best soccer nation in Africa since the 2006 World Cup

Wakapen

"In every big competition, the hardest part is always the semi-final," he said.

"It's the most difficult step to take. Psychologically it's a difficult hurdle to get over, we have to be wary of it."

"Remember the last World Cup, (hosts) Germany thought they had done the hardest part but eventually lost in semi-final."

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

CAF:Mensah allowed to play in final

Ghana captain John Mensah will be able to play in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations - if his team go that far.
The defender was expected to be given a two-match ban after his red card for a professional foul in the quarter-final against Nigeria.

But the Confederation of African Football has instead given Mensah a one-match suspension, ruling him out of the semi-final against Cameroon only.

He was sent off for bringing down Osaze Odemwingie, who was on a run at goal.

The only other red card of the tournament so far was shown to Guinea captain Pascal Feindouno, who was given a two-match ban for violent conduct.

"I'm happy for that, I think it only deserved a yellow card, because I didn't tackle him badly," Mensah told BBC Sport.

"I hope my colleagues will win against Cameroon and we'll move forward.

"I believe we can make it, and I'll be with them in the final on Sunday."